


The Clone's Hero

by MiraLake



Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: A Clone Commander and his Jedi General, Clone emotional/psychological abuse, Clone physical abuse, Clones, Clones are horribly mistreated, Dogma gets court-martialed, Events after Umbara, F/M, Jedi, Jedi Council is unfair, Krell and his former Clone Commander, Krell treats clones like garbage, Original Character(s), Original Character-centric, Original Clone Commander, Original Jedi Knight - Freeform, Plo Koon has a Padawan, Post-Episode: s04e07 Darkness on Umbara, References to Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008), Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-06
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:02:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 49
Words: 165,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23042944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiraLake/pseuds/MiraLake
Summary: The 501st wasn't the first legion to suffer under General Krell's leadership. Krell was once the general of the 304th legion. And he was nothing short of a monster to his clones, especially to Commander Steele. What'll happen when a newly-appointed Jedi Knight decides to step up to the abuse?*An OC-centric Star Wars: The Clone Wars storyWill return for Final arc
Relationships: Original Clone Trooper Character(s)/Original Jedi Character(s), Pong Krell & Original Clone Trooper Character(s)
Comments: 292
Kudos: 235





	1. CT-3484 (Intro pt1)

**Author's Note:**

> Update: I've been revising some old chapters lately, so don't freak if you realized something's different! ;)

**CT-3484 (Intro pt1)**

**_Good things will always come, no matter how brutal the current situation is._ **

"CT-3484, what are you doing!? Get back on the frontlines!" Krell ordered.

"Sir, yes, sir!"

Steele rushed out from behind the wrecked tank and moved forward with great caution. Shots were being fired back and forth between his troops and the enemy troops.

If he was running at full speed, he would surely be shot.

The rest of Steele's men followed behind as soon as they saw him go into battle again. The droids were obviously outnumbering them.

It was truly an unfair battle.

The troopers behind Steele threw droid-poppers left and right to cover him as he shot the endless parade of yellow clankers in the front, clearing a path for everyone.

"The main control room is just up ahead! We get there, we plant the bomb in, we escape, we go home! It's not impossible!" Steele encouraged his men.

Their goal was to take down this Separatist droid-repair factory, but it was taking longer than expected.

The Separatists were more prepared than they were and when they found out that Krell was the Jedi in charge of this mission, they probably pre-toasted to their victory.

Steele saw that he had finally opened up a window of opportunity and ran forward, shooting every single droid that he anticipates was about to shoot at him.

Months of serving under the ruthless General Krell's command had let him develop a sixth sense for detecting which droids are the most threatening ones in an instant.

Seeing that their commander is successfully making a path for them, the troopers began fighting back harder than before.

Cannons and blasters were being fired everywhere, destroying what's left of this repair-factory.

From his point of view, Krell saw that the battle was not progressing fast enough. He calls his clone commander again.

"CT-3484! Do I need to tell you everything? Charge forward and give those last remaining droids all you clones got!" Krell shouted through the comm.

From his position down on the battlefield, Steele answered in between firing blaster shots and dodging falling debris.

"We are giving them all we got, general! This is our maximum! We are almost inside the control room!"

"You are not!" Krell bellowed. "What is so hard about obeying orders, CT-3484? Or have you gone defective and I have to take you into maintenance?"

"General, I—ugh!"

A giant blast and explosion caused Steele to be knocked off his feet, along with the rest of his men. Most of the ceiling crumbled and began falling down towards them.

Steele quickly rolled out of the way.

"Brace yourselves!" He commanded.

Krell shielded his eyes from the sudden explosion. After the dust settled, he attempted to contact his clone commander again.

"Commander? Commander?!"

Steele reluctantly refused to answer his general's call and turned off his comm. Right now, his priority is keeping himself alive.

The metals and rocks stopped falling and the dust slowly faded away. Steele checked his radar on his right wrist to see if the signals of his remaining troopers are still active.

And they are. Everyone was still fine.

Looking up, Steele and his men saw a giant tank with a single droid controlling it in front of them. It was the last obstacle between them and the control room. Good. A tank is easy to take on in such a small space.

They all stay low to the ground, using the fallen debris as coverage to prevent the remaining droids and the tank from spotting them.

The droids walked amongst the rubble, scanning for any surviving clones. But they weren't very good at doing that.

Steele and all of the clones of Krell's legion were very experienced in situations like this.

"Do you see any clones?" One droid asked his comrade.

"No. I don't think they survived," his comrade answered.

"Well, keep looking. These clones can be pretty sneaky. You never know."

"Roger, roger."

Situations where it looked like the droids always had the upper hand were pretty normal for them. Because it was either they succeed in the mission and go home to an angry general or they die.

And none of them wants to die.

Eventually, Steele reached the front of the tank, carefully hiding behind a large piece of rubble. Another trooper, Egad, crawled next to him. The reliable Egad was the bomb-specialist.

He gestured to his backpack and made an OK sign with his fingers, telling Steele that he still has the bomb and is prepared to make a run for the control room to implement it anytime from now.

Steele examined his surroundings. He looked at the tank, the control room in front of them, his men behind them, and back to Egad again.

"What do you have in mind, commander?" Egad asked in a low voice.

"Alright, listen. I'm going to take over this tank, it's only one droid in command of it, so I'll be ok. When I do that, I'll turn on the droids here and you run as fast as you can to the control room and plant the bomb. Then exit through the escape route."

"But sir, you'll be spotted if you try to take over the tank. And what about the others that are still out there?" Egad nodded towards the fallen debris where more of his clone brothers are hiding from the droids. "We're not just going to leave them."

"You're right. But you're just going to have to trust me," Steele smirked.

Egad nodded obediently, turning towards the direction of the control room, preparing to run whenever Steele initiates the plan.

Turning off the safety on his blaster, Steele stood up from his hiding place confidently and turned around.

"Look! A clone!" He shouted.

That alerted the droids in front of him. They all looked around frantically.

"A clone?!"

"Where?!"

Steele answered with a shot from his blaster, knocking down one of the droids and causing a huge chain reaction to happen.

Almost immediately, the clones hidden among the rubble emerged and began taking down the droids with ease thanks to Steele's quick action that distracted those droids from noticing them.

As soon as that happened, Steele ran towards the back of the tank. The droid controlling the tank caught of him a little too late.

"Hey! Get back here!" The droid cried as he tried to blast Steele.

But Steele had a head start and successfully climbed up the tank, taking out the droid with one blow to the head with his blaster.

Egad was running at top speed towards the control room, shooting down the few droids that were standing in his way.

He reached his destination and quickly removed his backpack, taking out the bomb and putting it in the support pillar.

Outside, Steele took over the tank and swivelled it around. The clones were successfully taking down the droids in front of them, but all of the noise caused more droids to appear from other areas of the factory.

"Oh shoot! Take cover!" The clones ducked down as the newly appeared droids began shooting at them.

"Take out your grappling cords! And be prepared to aim for what's left of the ceiling!" Steele commanded.

The clone troopers did as commanded and Steele aimed towards the newly appeared droids, preparing for the blast.

"Men! Swing towards me!"

BOOM!

Steele pushed the ignite button and the blast immediately took away the entire squad of droids. Right before that happened, the clones shot their cords up towards whatever's left of the ceiling above them and swung towards their commander in the tank.

All of them landed safe and sound.

Steele continued to fire blast after blast, taking out significant amounts of droids that were coming from the remaining still-intact rooms of the factory.

He commanded his men to run into the control room and join Egad through the escape tunnel.

"Commander! Are you coming?" One of the troopers, Compass asked.

Steele waved his hand for them to keep running. "I'll catch up!"

Compass nodded and continued to run towards the control room. Inside, Egad sighed in relief to see his brothers alive and well.

He pressed the button on the bomb that so it will detonate when he pushes the remote.

Krell was growing impatient with the lack of updates from the clones. He hasn't even heard back since Steele cut him suddenly several minutes ago.

"CT-3484, come in! I repeat, come in!"

Steele blasts the last few droids he sees before jumping down from the tank and running towards the control room.

"CT-3484!" Krell howled.

"General! We're in the control room! Egad's planted the bomb, the whole place should be coming down any second!"

"About time it did!" Krell shouted so loud that Steele felt like his right ear might go deaf. "When we're back on the fleet, I hope you'll have good explanations, commander."

Egad stood at the edge of the escape tunnel, jumping anxiously as he waited for his commander to show up. Steele appeared from the smoke and dust seconds later.

"Commander!" Egad cried ecstatically.

"Let's go, let's go!"

"Yes, sir!"

Steele and Egad run through the escape tunnel that leads out the outside of the factory. Halfway through the tunnel, Egad presses the detonate remote button.

The entire factory blows up behind them in a glorious manner. That's it.

Mission accomplished.

~ O O O ~

A few clones waited outside the briefing room on board the fleet. They either stood or sat silently, but all of them were fidgeting uncomfortably with every bang they heard from inside the room.

Krell violently threw Steele around with the Force. Every single piece of furniture in this room was knocked over and some parts of the wall were even dented.

"Is this what it takes to make you obey my orders?!" Krell shouted.

"I'm sorry, sir..." Steele croaked as he painfully got to his feet. He was sure a few of his ribs were broken by now.

Without warning, Krell threw Steele around some more. The Besalisk Jedi's eyes flash as he thrust his arm back and forth over and over and over again...

Outside, the waiting clones grew more and more anxious. Compass stood up, not being able to take this waiting anymore. Egad grabbed him by the arm before he could knock on the door.

"Don't do anything hasty."

Compass forced his arm out of Egad's grip. "The commander did nothing wrong, we finished the mission. I get that the general is always this harsh, but I'm fed up with the way he treats us, clones! Especially the commander!"

The door flew open and Steele was sent flying out, nearly knocking over two clones standing right in front of the door. Everyone helped him back to his feet.

"Commander!"

"Are you alright?"

Krell walked out of the room and marched up to the clones who were helping Steele stay on his feet.

Compass glared at the tyrant Jedi general before him. He stood in front of Krell, crossing his arms and refusing to let him get to Steele.

Following Compass's example, Egad and the other clones all shot death glares at their general. Their grip on Steele tightened as Krell looked at them in amusement.

Pushing them away with the Force, Krell grabs Steele singlehandedly by his neck.

"Listen, CT-3484. I'll give you this. I'm actually kind of relieved that you all managed to successfully bomb the droid factory. Surprised even. But that doesn't erase the fact that you lot still have a lot to improve on. My tactics are harsh, and you may even say reckless. But they have made a huge impact on you, clones."

Krell lets go of Steele who falls to the floor with a thud. The General lands in one more hit which made his goggles crack and his vision got blurry.

Steele lost his sight due to an intense eye injury near the beginning of the war. Since then, he relied on specially-designed vision goggles to help him see the world around him.

But with one swift punch from the General, the clone commander's vision went completely dark. Despite that, Steele slowly gets back to his feet manages a weak salute.

Though harsh, Krell knows when to stop the violence. He nods at Steele's obedient behaviour and walks away.

The clones all rush up to their commander once again, letting him lean against them. Steele clicks the power button but the goggle refused to function. He sighed and took out his white cane.

Step by step, Steele limps down the hall towards the medical room. Compass followed behind, he still couldn't let go of his anger towards the general for his cruel treatment.

"It's not right that you get the heat for every tiny mistake in the general's eyes," Compass said out loud.

Steele groans from the pain in his left ribcage. "I don't need to hear this again, Compass. The general is the general, and good soldiers obey orders."

"At the cost of our lives?" Compass asked incredulously. "I'm sorry but, what about that makes us 'good soldiers?' At this point, we're equivalent to droids!"

They reached the medical rooms where Steele was taken into the care of a medic-bot on duty. The bot carefully tends to Steele's wounds while the rest of the clones scattered about and left the room, knowing that their commander is going to be ok.

The bot also fixes Steele's goggles since it's a medical-based technology, designed to improve his impaired vision. Steele laid down on the bed, feeling relief.

"How bad was the general this time, sir?" The bot asked.

"He was holding back this time," Steele sighed as he felt cool soft bandages wrap around his chest and abdomen. "My men just won't understand. No matter how long this goes on for, they just won't accept it. But it's either this or we all die on the battlefield."

"Your men are good men, that's why they won't accept this type of treatment from your general," the bot explained. "They care for you too much."

"Good soldiers follow orders," Steele insisted.

~ O O O ~

"'Good soldiers follow orders.' Aw, give me a break!" Compass threw his arms over his head. "Is he trying to get himself beaten to death by Krell?"

"If you've been waiting this long to finally say this, then you haven't been a very dutiful subordinate," Egad remarked.

"Oh, haha," Compass laughed sarcastically. "I've noticed! I've been seeing this since day one of being assigned to the 304th legion! And I've been tolerating this every single day! But do you know what scares me the most, Egad? Do you know?"

Egad shook his head plainly as they entered the armoury of the fleet. Compass clears his throat for further emphasis on what he's about to say.

"What scares me most, is that the commander actually thinks he deserves all that crap! Constantly telling us that 'we don't understand,' or that 'the general knows what he's doing'—"

"The commander isn't stupid!" Egad pushed Compass hard. He stumbles a few feet back. "The commander would rather take beatings and insults from General Krell than be killed by a bunch of clankers!"

Compass took a few seconds to recompose himself and then sighed. "Have you seen the other legions? The Jedi there are much fairer than ours. I heard that Rex of the 501st said that he'd die for General Skywalker! Face it, Egad! We drew the short straw at the start of this war. Our legion has more casualties than anybody else's and to this day, I'm still wondering how I lasted so long here!"

Egad turned around to leave the armoury. But stopped before he could walk out the door. Compass waited for the silence to pass. Then Egad started speaking.

"I wonder about that too," he admitted. "How I lasted so long after being thrust again and again into the front lines of battle. We lost so many good soldiers."

Behind him, Compass nodded in agreement. He seemed to be relieved to hear that Egad shares some of his thoughts about their tyrant general.

"But look at us now," Egad added, placing an arm on Compass's shoulder. "We're by far, the toughest, most experienced, and tolerant soldiers in the clone army!"

"No," Compass removed Egad's hand from his shoulder before taking his forearm in a vice grip. "In the whole galaxy."

Egad returns the vice grip to symbolize their unbreakable bond. The fleet made its way to Kamino at light speed.

~ O O O ~

After boarding off the fleet and filling out the status reports to the Kaminoan prime minister, Lama Su, Steele made his way to the training facilities. Before leaving, he barely caught the words being spat by his general to Lama Su behind him.

"I'm telling you that there's something wrong with him! I demand another operation be done to improve his sight—"

Steele turned the corner, shaking his head free of any ringing from his ears. But it was difficult with all this noise around him.

He was grateful that the medic-bot was able to fix his goggles on the fleet, the last thing he wanted was to walk around tapping the ground with his cane around here.

This was Kamino after all. His and his brothers' home. Created, raised, and trained here for one sole purpose. To fight a war he barely understood.

But it didn't matter too much to him, it's a great honour to fight in such a large scale war. Especially with Jedi as their leaders.

Yes, as brutal as Krell may be, Steele still has respect for his combat skills. The General almost never fights on the front lines with them, but whenever the enemy troops were about to break through to the back, that's when he jumps into battle.

Seeing how fast and easily Krell is able to slice through the waves of droids makes Steele forget about all the harsh treatments.

But that immediately resumes as soon as the battle's over.

Pain rips through Steele's chest again and he catches himself by grabbing onto the walking-aid bar along the pristine white walls. A few clones looked at him struggling to get back on his feet. He could hear them all whispering.

"That's Krell's commander."

"What happened this time?"

"They just took down the last droid repair factory."

"They did? That's great."

"Yeah, but I'm guessing something didn't go well with the general."

"I heard about this General Krell. Is he that harsh?"

"Yeah."

"What kind of Jedi treats his clones like garbage? Aren't they supposed to care about all living beings?"

Steele had enough of the pity he's feeling from all the watching clones. Forcing himself to walk straight, Steele sucked in the pain and marched down the hall to the training room where the Jedi in charge, Shaak Ti was.

"Commander. Welcome back," Shaak Ti greeted.

"How're the cadets coming along?" Steele limped over to the front of the room to see the training down below.

"You're injured," Shaak Ti noticed.

"I've already been patched up, so there's nothing else we can do but to wait and let these wounds heal by themselves. I ask again, general, how're the cadets coming along?"

Shaak Ti gestures below them. "We hired new bounty hunters when you were still away. They are stricter and harder on the cadets, but they are also fair. No more picking favourites, if they see someone weak, they'll work him harder."

"Good to know," Steele examined the cadets practicing their marksmanship on several moving targets below.

The two new bounty hunters watched closely over their form and technique, giving critiques and demonstrations whenever the cadets did something wrong.

"I almost forgot to mention," Shaak Ti suddenly remembered. "The temple is sending in another Jedi here, her name is Aliyah Korentayer, and she'll be helping me with overseeing the clones' training for the time being."

"Why?"

"She just got appointed as a Jedi Knight so she now has the status of general. But she felt that she is a bit young and wants to learn more about you, clones, before being assigned to a division," Shaak Ti explained.

"How young?" Steele asked curiously.

"A child on the verge of becoming an adult."

Steele whistled. "Why are you Jedi sending out children into the battlefield?"

"We aren't," Shaak Ti corrected. "It's the Republic that commands us to fight. And that means sending any qualified Jedi of our order to lead clone divisions."

"Still..." Steele whispered. "They have a whole life ahead of them. Unlike us. Unlike me."

The doors to the training room behind them opened and in walked the recently appointed young Jedi Knight Shaak Ti was talking about.

Had Shaak Ti not told him earlier, Steele would never guess that the Jedi Knight was only a teenager.

The person who walked in appeared as a young woman wearing the traditional brown Jedi cloak, which was only a few shades darker than her short dark-blonde hair tied in a half ponytail.

In fact, the only thing that seemed to make her look like a child is her round face, framed by loose pieces of her hair that fell out of the ponytail.

Her round face and her big smile.

"Aliyah Korentayer," the Jedi Knight introduced herself. "It is an honour to work with you, Master."

Shaak Ti smiled, "I'm glad to hear that. I hope you will find this experience to be fruitful."

Steele looked back and forth between the two Jedi and then looked back down at the cadets. One of them failed to shoot the moving simulated droid again, stirring up the anger of one of the bounty hunter instructors. He snatched the blaster away from the cadet.

"Aliyah, this is Commander Steele, he regularly helps out with struggling cadets and offers advice on their training," Shaak Ti added. "He is under General Krell's legion, the 304th."

Steele looked at Aliyah, nodding in acknowledgement. "Good meeting you, sir."

"Good meeting you, too, commander." Aliyah returned the nod with the same childish smile.

"Generals, if you don't mind, I should head down and help out the cadets before an argument starts up."

"Go ahead," Shaak Ti gave permission for him to leave.

With that, Steele turned around and walked through the door. He headed down the hall towards the lift. His rib cage throbbing with every step he takes. His head throbbing even more.

He couldn't stop thinking about that childish smile from the new Jedi knight—Aliyah—General Korentayer. He feels a bit sad.

Sad that he knew that smile is going to cease to exist one day. It's inevitable.

Because this is a war.

_**Next time on The Clone's Hero, Steele and his men failed to finish a mission and are forced to retreat, facing an outraged General Krell. But this time, they have the support of another person...** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Star Wars: The Clone Wars is owned by Disney (Lucasfilm). I'm just playing around with it.
> 
> For so many years, I've kept these original characters (that you'll see in this story) bottled up inside me.
> 
> They've been through so many changes and development that the ones in this story, don't look anything like how they were initially characterized.
> 
> But finally, after so long, I've decided to finalize these OCs of mine.
> 
> And their story which takes place in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars universe.
> 
> The release of season 7 really encouraged me to come forward and share this story.
> 
> Don't be afraid to leave feedback and/or constructive criticism! I'm ALWAYS open to suggestions and changes! :)
> 
> Thanks for reading,  
> MiraLake


	2. Tyrant General (Intro pt2)

**Tyrant General (Intro pt2)**

_**Where there is cruelty, there will be someone to stop it.** _

The fleet carrying the 304th legion neared the planet Mustafar. The place where the hidden Separatist hacking base was.

The Separatists have been using this base to hack into confidential Republic databases. Scooping up any information that would give them an advantage.

But now, the Republic has found out the existence of this base and planned to get rid of it as soon as possible. So General Krell and his legion were dispatched to destroy it.

On the board the fleet, Krell briefs over the plan of attack one more time with his clones.

"You are to launch a full-frontal attack. No escape. No exceptions. Is that clear?"

"Sir, if I may suggest," Steele said.

The clone commander's injuries were not fully healed. But it was enough for him to fight at around three-quarters of his full potential.

"Make it quick, commander," Krell crossed his arms. "We're going to land any minute."

Steele pointed at the narrow side bridges surrounding the front entrance to the base.

"If we used those bridges as our path of entering, we'd be less vulnerable to the enemy. The terrain provides more cover, making it easier to take out the droid army. The remaining men will then charge in from the main bridge. We'll have the droids surrounded with nowhere to go except back into the building! It'll be easier, not to mention, safer, to fight inside."

"Are you saying that you won't be leading your men on the front lines?" Krell raised his voice.

One of the troopers at the table, Vito, opened his mouth. "What the commander is say—"

 _Bang!_ Krell brought a hand down against the table, severely shaking the hologram map.

"I think the commander can speak for himself, CT-8901!"

Vito immediately backed down.

Steele gave his trooper a stern yet sympathetic look. "General, I'm simply offering another point of view. I've been through many battles where you placed me on the front lines—"

"Then you should be used to this," Krell pressed. "Why are you trying to use a new tactic at the very last minute, commander? Do you think this is a game? That you can try things out and if they don't work, it's still all good?"

"I—" Steele started.

"We're talking about war, here, commander! Not some training simulation! I should've known to never let Shaak Ti take you in to help out those incompetent cadets! Now you're starting to think like those weaklings!" Krell sneered.

Steele saw that they were about to board the gunships. He had to wrap this up quickly, whether he liked it or not.

Sucking in a deep breath, Steele forced these words to come out.

"My apologies, sir."

~ O O O ~

They all boarded the gunships which left the fleet and landed on top of a rocky ledge, releasing the clone troopers.

Several smaller starfighters left the fleet as well, controlled by clone pilots. They were providing some air support.

Putting on his heat-resistant gear, Steele charges forward into the volcanic environment. The droid army immediately commenced the fighting.

Within the first few seconds of leaving the safety of the gunships, Steele is already witnessing several of his men falling left and right of him as blaster bolts flew by nonstop.

The only cover they had were the pilots flying in their starfighters above them.

Gritting their teeth and sucking in their tears, the troopers down on land forced themselves to keep going forward.

Suddenly, the droids began catapulting bombs over to the clones, taking out significant portions of their legion.

Steele stopped the forward movement, seeing that they'll just get blown up if they keep going.

"Back up, men! Back up!" He shouted.

That got Krell's attention. "CT-3484, why are you backing up?"

"There's too many, sir!" Steele cried as he tried to stay out of enemy fire behind a small boulder. "We're going to be wiped out if we continue!"

"The Republic will be in turmoil if you don't continue!" Krell shouted back. "Keep moving forward!"

Another bomb landed nearby, killing off more clone troopers. Using the smoke and dust from the bomb as his cover, Egad ran up to Steele, joining him behind the boulder.

"General! Perhaps there's another way around—" Steele began before being cut off by Krell.

"CT-3484," Krell said in a menacing voice. "I'm giving you to the count of three, to get yourself and your men back in battle, before I come out and deal with you personally."

Krell was not joking. He started to count.

"One..."

"Two..."

Reluctantly, Steele took out his blaster pistols and stood back up. To the shock of Egad and all of the surviving clone troopers behind him.

"The commander has a death wish!" One of the troopers gasped from behind.

"Not if we can help it!" Another trooper replied as he too joined Steele on the front lines.

Soon, all of the clone troopers were back in the battle, this time, with more vigour and spirit. They fought back harder than before, not for the Republic, but for their own lives.

Krell put away his lightsaber at the sight of his legion moving out once again. It looks like he won't have to deal with his commander anytime soon.

One of the pilots contacted Steele for further orders. "Commander! We saw you turn back a second, do you need any assistance from us?"

Steele shoots another droid coming at him. "As a matter of fact, yes. I need you boys up there to take out that annoying catapult in front of us! We can't get to the bridge until it's out!"

"Got it, sir!"

The pilot and the rest of the air squad flew in towards the main bridge that leads to the front entrance of the hacking base.

They circled around the catapult, shooting at its main body while avoiding all the bomb projectiles. After a few more shots, the catapult finally was destroyed.

It blew up, taking out a good amount of droids with it. The pilot contacted Steele again.

"Accomplished, sir!"

"Excellent work!" Steele answered.

They resumed their forward charge again. Without the catapult, it was easier to run towards the enemy now.

Finally, they reached the giant metal bridge, where most of the droids were huddled on.

"Take out these last clankers!" Steele yelled as he shot one droid with its blaster pointed towards him.

With the help of the pilots above, it took almost no time for the clones to clear the bridge of droids.

But little did they know, the worst of the battle was yet to come.

Inside the hacking base, a super tactical droid general watched in amusement as the clones successfully defeated the droid army on the bridge.

He laughed mechanically as he pushed a certain red button.

"See if you get out of this alive, clones."

Out on the bridge, Steele removed his helmet to clean off the soot and dust from its surface. All around him, his men were out of breath but also ecstatic at their little victory.

One of the pilots called Steele, who was catching his breath against the metal railings of the bridge.

"Commander, we're going to blow open the door, so we advise you to move back."

Steele nodded and got up to do as he was told when—

BOOM!

An explosion happened right in the center of the bridge, destroying most of it and taking out several clones with it.

Those surviving clones were thrown back and landed either on the hard solid ground or into the lava below.

Steele was sent back towards the front entrance of the base along with about half of the troopers. He was lying on the very edge of the destroyed bridge.

His heart was beating out of his chest as he clung to whatever's remaining of the bridge, trying to inch himself away from the lava pit.

The entire bridge was destroyed down the middle, leaving only the ends of it barely intact.

A few unlucky clones landed right on the edge of the ends of the bridge, barely holding onto it. Some of their comrades rushed to help pull them up, but they couldn't get to all of them.

Steele helplessly watched as two of his men lost their grip and fell to their deaths in the lava below.

He cringed at the sight of their bodies sinking below the molten hot liquid.

"Commander! Look out!" Someone shouted.

Turning his head to the side, Steele saw several droids appear on the two side-bridges. Two tanks came out along with another catapult.

From the second he saw the droid reinforcement, Steele knew that they were doomed.

"Ready? Fire!" The leading droid commanded.

Blaster bolts sped towards the remaining clones. The legion was heavily divided and disorganized. It was every man for himself at this point.

Steele picked up a third blaster from a dead comrade next to him and shot back at the droids, but was vastly overwhelmed.

He took two shots to the arm and leg before backing down. The few troopers trapped on this side of the bridge with him fought back as hard as they could.

The pilots above took out as many droids as possible, but the tanks were better controlled this time and took down quite a few of them in their starfighters.

On the other side of the bridge, more clone troopers who survived the blast and were giving the droid army their all. But it was proving to be effectless.

Enough was enough.

"Commander!" Krell bellowed. "Control this situation!"

Steele ignored his general and continued shooting the droids from his tiny ledge.

"Commander!" Several troopers cried. "We can't do this anymore! We need to leave!"

Steele turned off his comm and focused solely on taking out each and every droid he sees. But the shouting and screams soon got to him.

Turning his comm back on, Steele said something he hasn't said since the beginnings of the war.

"RETREAT! EVERYONE, RETREAT!"

At first, the clones thought they didn't hear their commander properly, but Steele repeated himself one more time, sounding more desperate than ever.

Everyone on the open end of the bridge began running back to the fleet while the pilots flew towards the clones who were still trapped on the base side of the bridge.

Krell's blood boiled at the sight of the clones running back to the gunships. He shouted into the comm.

"CT-3484! Don't you try to retreat! There's no retreating!"

Steele did not back down this time. "General, it's impossible to finish this mission right now! There's absolutely no way!"

The gunship pilots picked up the clone troopers around Steele. They urged him to get on board already.

"If you back down now, I won't let you lead this legion next time!" Krell screamed maniacally.

Steele jumped into the gunship as the last few droids fired after them. "If we stay here, there will be no next time, general!"

The pilots finished picking up the surviving trapped clones, including the commander while the rest of the clones boarded the gunships. They all fled the battle and back to the fleet.

Inside the destroyer, Krell angrily punched clone trooper, Vito, square in the helmet. Knocking him to the ground.

~ O O O ~

Steele thrashed around in pain. His lungs were on fire. His eyes were cracking. He needed air. And fast.

But Krell wouldn't let go. He held Steele down in the sink full of ice water for a few seconds longer before pulling him back out, just to dump more ice into the sink.

Steele coughed violently, trying to force all of the water out of his throat. He could hear the groans of his men behind him.

They all tried to stop this torture, only to get incapacitated by the rogue general.

Lucky for Steele, his goggles were waterproof. But it didn't help with this pain he's going through.

This has been going on for about half an hour. They arrived here about half an hour ago. And Krell has been going all out on them since then.

He grabbed Steele by the back of the neck and thrusts his head back into the ice water. With each thrust, Krell yelled an insult to the clone commander.

"Defective!"

"Faulty!"

"Failure!"

Compass watched on in anger through his one good eye. His other eye was compromised thanks to the general when he tried to come in and rescue the commander a few minutes ago.

Steele gasped and sputtered during the brief windows when the general lifted him up before pushing him back in.

"You're never going to learn, are you?!" Krell growled.

Finally, Steele made an effort to fight back. Judging by the sound, he grabbed the bag of ice next to the sink and swung it at the general's face as hard as he could.

Krell was stunned for a moment but quickly composed himself again. In response, he sent Steele flying back with the Force.

Steele felt the world spinning as he tried to get back up.

The rest of the clones immediately straightened upon seeing their commander finally putting up a fight. But Krell wouldn't let their spirits rise too high.

He connected his fist to Steele's face, sending him sliding across the floor some more. Egad lifted his blaster and without thinking, fired a single shot at the general.

Krell took out his lightsaber and quickly deflected that shot. Then he Force-choked Egad until he was unconscious.

Steele fixed his neck and jaw from the punch, and slowly got back to his feet. By now, deep purple bruises were forming on his face and neck.

"How shameful," Krell spat as he put away his weapon. "You're all lousy clones. Just like your commander."

"You're wrong!" Compass growled in agony. "The commander's a good soldier. He's a better servant of the Republic than you, general."

Krell laughed in amusement. "A 'good soldier?' Aren't good soldiers supposed to follow orders? If he's a good soldier, then why did he disobey me and retreat back at Mustafar? Huh?"

Krell lifted a fist to swing at Steele. But before he could hit his target, Steele caught his general's arm in the blink of an eye, stopping it from hitting his face.

This act alone was enough to cause Krell to gasp. All of the clones were in shock too.

Wet strands of crimson-coloured hair stuck to Steele's face, mimicking blood flowing freely from a wound. The '3484' shaved into the side of his undercut was more prominent than ever.

"Then I guess I'm not a good soldier."

The room fell deathly silent. Then the sound of a lightsaber activating ended the silence. Krell's lightsaber.

"Well, in that case, I guess I don't need you anymore!"

Krell swung his lightsaber with the intention to kill the commander.

All the injured clone troopers instinctively took out their blasters, ready to shoot at Krell. Steele squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the life-ending blow...that never came.

There was a sound of another lightsaber activating, followed by the sound of the two weapons clashing.

Opening his eyes, Steele sees Aliyah Korentayer standing before him. Shielding him from Krell's attack with her own green lightsaber. Her oversized blue tunic fluttered from the mad dash in here.

She looked at the tyrant general in dismay. "Careful now, General Krell. Killing out of hatred isn't the Jedi way."

Krell was shocked by her sudden appearance.

"Padawan Korentayer..." He lowered his lightsaber. "This isn't your business. Stay out of this, or I'll report you to your Master, Plo Koon."

"I recently got knighted, so I'm no longer his Padawan," Aliyah corrected. "And I happen to know this clone here, so this is also my business."

The clone troopers watching slowly lowered their blasters, slightly relieved at the appearance of another Jedi in the room. Aliyah erased her serious composure and put on a gentle smile.

"I'm not as experienced as you are in leading clones as a general, but I can clearly see that you're very distressed right now. It must be hard losing a battle," she said in a sympathetic tone. "Take a rest, Krell. And feel free to talk to me if you need to let out some steam. I'll be around."

Krell shook his head and put away his lightsaber before walking out the door in a huff.

"Tch." Was all he said.

~ O O O ~

Aliyah watches from outside the infirmary with Shaak Ti as several medic-bots were dispatched to treat the injured clones from the 304th legion that attempted to fight back against their general.

"I'm glad you intervened when you did, Aliyah," Shaak Ti praised. "That was extremely unorthodox and unsightly for a Jedi to act as Krell did. I will have to report to the Council about this."

Inside the infirmary, Steele winced in pain at every touch the medic-bots made on his body in an attempt to find what's broken and what needs to be repaired.

Before long, the examination was over and bots have reached a conclusion.

"Take him to the operating room."

Steele got transferred to a stretcher and pushed down the hall towards the room where surgical bots will be tending to him.

Once inside, the first thing that the bots did was inject him with the sleeping serum.

He falls unconscious.

~ O O O ~

_"Hello?"_

_"Hello?"_

"Hello?"

When Steele regained consciousness, his world was dark. A soft gauze cloth was wrapped around his eyes.

And a warm hand was on his bandaged shoulder. Gripping it gently.

The hand belonged to Egad. The dark-haired standard-issue-cut clone trooper leaned in closer. He was happy to see his commander awake and well.

"Commander, you're awake."

Steele struggled to sit up on the bed. "How are the rest of the boys?"

"Worry about yourself first, commander," Egad coughed.

Memories of what just happened flashed through his mind like a fast-forwarding movie. Steele began laughing, to the confusion of Egad.

He asked for his white cane and got out of bed. Egad insisted on waiting for the medics to arrive with his goggles, but Steele refused.

Without saying a word, Steele picked up the cane and used it to help walk himself out of the room. Egad followed behind him.

Outside, all the clones walking about turned their heads at the sight of the heavily bandaged clone commander limping across the ground with a cane. Steele laughed once more.

"I almost died...I almost died..." he muttered aloud.

"Commander!" Egad asked. "Where are you going?"

Steele marched onwards, making a loud thud with his cane with every step he takes. Pain and anger in his eyes as he neared his destination.

The outside hangar.

"I'd like to be left alone if you don't mind," Steele said.

Egad nodded and turned around, leaving his commander out in the open area filled with nothing but an endless downpour of rain.

After minutes of breathing heavily and squeezing and releasing his fists, Steele finally lets out a painful yell.

"Aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!"

The scream echoed throughout the hangar and even shook some of the metal pillars nearby. He walked around the area, finding anything he could potentially hit or knock over.

His first item was a broken surveillance camera. He destroyed it within a matter of seconds with his metal cane.

It was followed by a thrown away drink bottle, a fallen portion of the roof, a loose wheel from an old speeder, and finally, an abandoned starfighter engine.

That last item took quite a few hits and slips before finally being knocked over the edge of the hangar and into the raging ocean below.

Standing in the rain, Steele feels slightly better and refreshed. But it wasn't enough to erase his frustrations altogether.

"Feeling better?" A female voice suddenly asked.

It was Aliyah's voice.

Steele turned around to where her voice was coming from. He couldn't see her but he could imagine her standing there. It calmed him down from his tantrum.

"Thank you, again, general. You saved my life."

"I wasn't prepared to see something like that when I requested to be sent here from the Temple," Aliyah admitted. "Why don't you say something to the higher-ups? I mean, General Shaak Ti is here, no? You can put an end to this treatment."

Steele saw how clueless the new Jedi general was. It looks like he's going to have to teach her how things work here from scratch.

"I did, once a while back," he explained slowly. "General Shaak Ti informed the Jedi at Coruscant about me and my men's situation. But nothing came out of it. Because Krell knew how to turn the story in his favour."

"I don't understand."

"In times of war, the Republic needs all the success they can get," Steele walked closer to the general to get out of the rain. "General Krell's harsh tactics and attitude towards us makes us fight hard. Therefore, we hold some of the highest success and mortality rates. To the Council, the general is just a little tougher on his clones than other Jedi. But as long as the results were acceptable, they didn't question his command over us. Not to mention, they also have troops to lead, battles to fight. They don't have the time to deal with our situation."

Aliyah felt great pity towards the clone commander. "I'm sorry. Well, you could always try again. The Council didn't know the details of you and your men—"

"General, with all due respect. I'm not your responsibility, you don't need to worry about me. You're here to learn more about how to be a good general, and about us clones," Steele reminded. "It honestly doesn't matter to me, how many broken bones or bruises I get, as long as I fulfill my purpose."

"It matters to me, commander," Aliyah said. Steele could hear the genuine concern in her voice.

She stepped closer. "If you ever need help. Know that I'm always around."

_**Next time on The Clone's Hero, Steele helps several clone cadets for their final exams but Krell doesn't like that. Luckily, Steele has someone looking out for him now...** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, please leave kudos and comments if you liked what you read.
> 
> I hope you guys are enjoying this story as much as I do writing it.
> 
> I'm currently trying to find a good update schedule for this story. Weekly updates seem like a norm for a lot of fanfics but I'd like to know your opinions.
> 
> Are weekly updates too long or short? Do you prefer twice a week? Or every two weeks?
> 
> No matter the schedule, I'll always make sure my chapters are of top quality before posting.
> 
> So if I'll be going on hiatus in the future. I'll let you guys know ahead of time.
> 
> Thanks for reading,
> 
> MiraLake


	3. Friendship (Intro pt3)

**Friendship**

**_It all starts with a simple friendship._ **

"We did it!"

The clone cadets of Bravo Squad cheered. They successfully passed the mock final exam where they had to retrieve the flag on top of the simulated citadel environment.

From the control centre, Steele slowly clapped. He was glad these cadets took his advice and stopped treating the mock exam like a fake scenario.

The bounty hunter instructors, Bric and El-Les, turned to Steele. Bric was looking at him in his usual sour mood. But El-Les was much more appreciative.

"Thank you, Commander Steele," El- Les gushed. "Now these cadets are fighting as if they're really at the citadel."

Bric shrugged. "Eh. It's not like they'll ever be at the citadel."

"That kind of thinking is exactly why less than half of the graduated cadets don't come back from their first mission," Steele said without even glancing at Bric.

The clone commander turned around to leave the room. Walking past Generals Shaak Ti and Aliyah Korentayer on his way out.

"Commander!" Shaak Ti called after him. "I'll need your assistance in more squads later today. I've already informed General Krell. So you don't need to tell him yourself."

Steele nodded in response before exiting. He barely took two steps when Aliyah suddenly appeared next to him. She walked alongside him.

"General Korentayer," Steele acknowledged.

"Is it true? What you said back there?" Aliyah asked. "About cadets not surviving their first mission because they're not treating these practices as a real battlefield?"

Steele nodded earnestly. "Yes. I've been through enough life-or-death situations to know the difference between experience and no experience. Out on the frontlines, I need to assume every second might be my last. It's not at all like these simulations I went through back in my cadet days." 

“I understand. I was just like that when I joined my Master, Plo Koon, out on the battlefield. Blaster bolts left and right, droids coming out of nowhere, bombs going off all around—it was  _ chaos _ !” Aliyah shook her head in memory of it.

Steele resisted the urge to smile at her tone of voice. “They don’t teach you how to fight at the Temple?”

“We’re Jedi, commander. Our role in the Republic was never as soldiers or generals. I was taught how to focus, value, and defend. Sure, I was taught lightsaber combat. But now, I must also learn how to lead.”

The pair talked more about their battlefield stories as they walked down the hall together. Steele learned that Aliyah was the co-commander of the 104th battalion, back when she was a Padawan.

Which made sense since her former Jedi Master, Plo Koon, was the general of the 104th. And if Steele recalled correctly, CC-3636 aka "Wolffe" was the clone commander of it.

"You seem pretty battle-hardened, General Korentayer," Steele said.

_ Looks like I was wrong thinking she was childish and inexperienced. First impressions can be misleading. _

"Thank you. But that's because I had great teachers. Both my former master and Commander Wolffe would take on the brunt of the battle while I followed close behind," Aliyah explained.

"Your master would lead in the frontlines?" Steele was shocked.

"Yes."

"...He seems like a great general..." Steele wondered how it feels, having a Jedi at the front of a battle.

The barracks came into view and Steele said his see-you-laters to Aliyah. But before they parted, the young Jedi general asked one last question.

"Commander! May I come with you while you assist the other cadet squads today?"

Steele was speechless at first. It seemed like ever since the day Aliyah shielded him from Krell, things have changed between them. 

She seemed to be trying to get closer to him. And Steele wasn't sure if he liked it or not.

But...she said she's here to learn more about clones. And her request to accompany him when he goes to assist the other squads today  _ is _ related to her learning...

"Of course, general. I'll see you in the training room after lunch."

~ O O O ~

Clone trooper, Compass, stepped out of the showers. He just shaved his head and wanted to feel new and refreshed. 

While inspecting himself in the mirror, he was suddenly barged in on by his fellow comrade, Egad.

"What in the galaxy have you done to your hair?" Egad gasped.

Compass groaned defensively. "There's nothing wrong with my hair! If anything, I should be the one asking that question!"

Egad touched his standard-cut hair. He didn't change its style or colour since the day he was bred. He just didn't feel a need to do it.

"My hair's just fine," Egad said coolly. He walked up to Compass to get a better look at his new bald head. Egad wrinkled his nose. "Hmmm. General Krell isn't going to like it."

Compass scoffed as he disappeared into the changeroom. "The general doesn't like anything we do!"

Seconds later, Compass emerged wearing the standard black jumpsuit that's always worn underneath their white armour. "So help me! For once, I want to make my own damn choices! I'm  _ not _ going to let Krell take away my identity!"

"You're right," Egad said.

Compass's jaw dropped. "Wow. That's a first."

Egad ignored that and walked out of the showers. He didn't feel like taking a shower anymore now. Compass walked out with him.

"Compass, how do you feel about the general nearly...killing the commander the other day?" Egad asked in a low voice.

Compass got goosebumps at the memory of that. 

"Terrified. Angry. If I were a Jedi, I would've fallen to the uh...what's it called? 'Black side' or something."

Egad nodded in approval. He felt very guilty and useless that day. The commander's life was in danger and none of them could do a damn thing about it! Thankfully, the new Jedi, Aliyah Korentayer stepped in.

"Let's go see the commander," Egad suddenly said. "He's busy advising some cadet squads at the training room today."

Compass agreed. And the two clones walked through the halls until they reached the training room. Right before entering, Egad accidentally bumped into bounty hunter Bric.

“Watch where you’re going, trooper!” Bric scolded—rather rudely.

That caused a short argument between him and Egad. But it ended once bounty hunter El-Les showed up and told Bric that General Ti needed him elsewhere.

Egad sighed in annoyance as the two bounty hunters left. "Thought he'd never let up. Anyways let's go inside."

Compass slowly turned around and put a hand on Egad's shoulder. A tiny smile formed on his face as he pushed him away from the training room doors.

"No need for us to check-in on the commander. He's in good hands."

Peering over Compass, Egad saw through the windows of the training room and understood what Compass meant. Commander Steele was standing with none other than General Korentayer.

~ O O O ~

“You boys are taking too many shots to bring down just one droid,” Steele criticized after the simulation ended.

Steele was currently advising the Domino Squad. His last squad of the day. And so far, these cadets have proven themselves as formidable individual soldiers. But not as a team.

One of the cadets, Hevy, threw his rotary blaster cannon on the ground. He was extremely frustrated.

“I’d like to see you try!”

In response, Steele took out a DC-17 blaster pistol from his hip holster. He ordered the simulation to be started up again. The dummy droids all activated and began moving towards the clones.

_ Bang! Bang! Bang! _

In three shots, Steele took down exactly three droids before they had the chance to shoot. Each blaster bolt hit them straight in the head. He ordered the simulation to end.

All of the Domino Squad was speechless.

“Did you think my status as ‘commander’ is in name only?” Steele put his blaster back in its holster.

The cadets shook their heads and stood up straight. Hevy apologized as he picked up his cannon. Steele ordered the simulation to be restarted.

From the sidelines, Aliyah observed everything in great detail. Steele hoped this day had been beneficial for her. They’ve been meeting and watching clone cadets all afternoon.

Steele hates to admit it. But he’s starting to like General Korentayer’s presence. She’s an easy-talker and seems to have this constant aura of welcoming around her.

“That was an impressive demonstration you did, commander,” Aliyah complimented. “Battlefield experience?”

“Front line experience,” Steele corrected.

The cadets of Domino Squad were nearing the end of the simulation. This time, they had higher accuracy in shooting down droids. 

They were speeding through the simulation like it was nothing. But still lacked working together as a team. However, that can be developed in time.

For now, it’s good enough that they can keep themselves from being shot in a simple simulation. Though, they will need to improve their team effort if they have any hope of passing the final exam.

“I hope they’ll be good soldiers one day in the future,” Steele confessed.

“You  _ hope _ , CT-3484?”

Krell entered the training room as soon as the simulation ended. The temperature suddenly dropped 10 degrees. 

Steele instinctively clenched his fists to control his shaking. Beads of sweat formed at the back of his neck.

Looking to Steele’s side, Krell noticed Aliyah and reduced his intimidation by a couple of notches. But it was still enough for the Domino Squad to nervously twitch upon seeing him.

“CT-3484? Have you gone deaf?” Krell repeated himself. “You  _ hope _ that these clone cadets will be good soldiers in the future?”

“Yes, sir. I do,” Steele said with a lump in his throat.

Behind him, the Domino Squad cadets watched the exchange between Krell and Steele. They could feel the tension between the two.

Krell looked back and forth from the cadets to Aliyah, and finally to Steele. He ‘humphed’ in annoyance.

“CT-3484, did I not make myself clear when I told you to stop training cadets?”

“You were clear, sir.”

“Then what are you doing here? With cadets as incompetent as them?” Krell nodded to the Domino Squad behind Steele.

The cadets all shook in anger. How dare Krell insult them! Even though he’s a Jedi general. But still! How dare he!

Before Steele could say something, Aliyah interrupted. “General Ti requested him to assist the cadet squads this morning. She already informed you, Krell. And you didn’t have any upcoming missions with the 304th. So there are no conflicts here.”

Krell’s eyes darted to the young Jedi Knight. “General Korentayer, this isn’t your business this time. And there is a conflict here. I’m preparing to ask the Council to grant my legion a second chance at taking the Separatist hacking base. I need my clone commander with me for the meeting.”

“He’ll go with you after he’s finished helping the Domino Squad,” Aliyah promised.

“He’ll go with me  _ now _ ,” Krell growled and added under his breath. “ _ Girl.” _

Aliyah’s lips pursed into a thin line. Her calm expression was threatening to break. One of the cadets of the Domino Squad, Fives, was ready to give Krell a piece of his mind.

But Steele quickly broke the tension in the room by siding with his general.

“Alright, alright, sir. I’m sorry. I was wrong. You hold more authority to me than General Ti. I should’ve followed your orders instead of hers.”

Krell was glad to hear that. “Just don’t make the same mistake again, commander. Let’s go.”

Before the two could step out of the room, Aliyah shouted after them. “Krell!”

The general and his clone commander stopped to turn around towards her.

“Do control your temper this time. After all, it’s the  _ Jedi Council _ , you’re making your request to. And I'll be turning 19 by the end of this month. So please refrain from calling me 'girl' again." She flashed an innocent smirk at the Besalisk Jedi.

The look Krell gave Aliyah was enough to kill her—if looks could kill. Without saying or doing anything more, he and Steele left.

“What the kriff is his problem?” Clone cadet, Echo asked.

“I sure hope not all Jedi generals are like him,” Droidbait shuddered.

Fives agreed. “Hopefully, we won’t have to ever serve under his command.”

“Then imagine what his commander is going through,” Aliyah spoke to the Domino Squad. “He had no choice since day one of the war. And he still believes he has no choice.”

~ O O O ~

The holograms of the Jedi Council members all listened attentively to Steele. The clone commander was finishing his explanation to why he and his men had to retreat on Mustafar.

“We were outnumbered and outgunned in an environment that was absolutely unforgiving. If we stayed, we would’ve been—”

Krell cut him off. “All he’s saying is that the enemy surprised us. Destroying the main bridge was their strategy. And it was effective in scattering the clones. But if there’s anything my legion can do, it’s learn from their  _ mistakes _ .”

He gave Steele a side-glare, causing the clone commander to look down uncomfortably. This did not go unnoticed by the Council.

Especially Jedi Master Plo Koon.

“Commander?” The Kel Dor Jedi asked. “You seem a bit uneasy.”

“Are you confident in taking the Separatist hacking base a second time?” Jedi Master Mace Windu asked, attempting to steer away from Plo’s statement.

“He is,” Krell answered for him. “Because he knows the price to pay for failure—especially in these times—is heavy.”

Steele didn’t say anything. He just nodded in agreement. Plo and several other Jedi, including Obi-Wan Kenobi and Kit Fisto, exchanged looks. As if to say ‘what’s going on between them?’

“Well, if you’re both confident in being successful, I don’t see a reason to send another legion,” Mace concluded. “Krell, you and the 304th will be deployed for the Mustafar mission again.”

“Thank you, Masters,” Krell bowed his head in respect.

Before the meeting could end, Obi-Wan interrupted. “Wait! I think we’d all like to hear the commander’s honest opinion on this matter.”

Even Grand Master Yoda agreed. “Speak freely, commander.”

Steele’s eyes darted from Krell to the Jedi Council. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity for him! He bet Krell didn’t think of this when he made him accompany him here.

But still…

_ "Well, in that case, I guess I don't need you anymore!" _

Memories of Krell’s lightsaber nearly slicing his head off returned. And that’s when Steele realized how easy it would be for Krell to kill him and make it appear as if he died in combat.

But suddenly, those memories of Krell beating him, yelling at him, mentally crushing him, were replaced by memories of the first time he saw Krell fight on the battlefield.

_ “The Republic can’t afford to lose more time! Keep moving forward! We must push the Separatists troops back! So get back on your feet!” _

Steele’s fear gradually dissipated. He turned to face the holograms of the Jedi Council and removed his helmet. The Masters were all shocked to see his vision goggles.

“Generals, I am confident in taking the Separatist hacking base this time. My men and I won’t disappoint the Republic or our general again,” Steele confirmed.

For the first time, Krell felt something towards his clone commander that wasn’t hate. He also faced the Jedi Council.

“So you see? We’ll be successful.”

The meeting ended after that.

~ O O O ~

Back on Coruscant, several members of the Council were still thinking about Krell and Steele. They all stood in the briefing room in silence.

“I sense animosity between Krell and his commander,” Plo broke the silence.

“I do too,” Ob-Wan agreed. “But we mustn't jump to conclusions.”

Mace nodded. “Pong Krell has a...bit of a reputation. No doubt, he’s been hard on the clones of his legion. And yet, I see what you mean, Master Plo. There’s definitely something going on that we don’t know about.”

“Shaak Ti voiced some concerns about Krell and his clone commander a couple months back,” Jedi Master Adi Gallia reminded. “But we assumed it was just a couple minor arguments. Perhaps we should ask her more about this ‘treatment’ Krell’s been giving to his clones.”

“My former Padawan, Aliyah Korentayer, is stationed there as well. She might also know something,” Plo added.

“But we can’t forget we’re in a war. There’s only so much we can do in the little time we spend away from the battlefield,” Mace reminded.

“During times of war, it is. That the Jedi are tested, truly,” Yoda finalized. “Never forget, our code or our honour, my friends. Never forget.”

~ O O O ~

A couple of clones from the 304th legion were resting at the Kamino recovery room. They had injuries that took longer to heal than the others.

CT-8901, Vito, still had a bruised eye from Krell’s punch at the failed Mustafar mission. The deep purple bruise greatly contrasted his auburn-dyed hair. 

He even considered getting a facial tattoo to make it less noticeable. But then thought against it, afraid that it might anger his general.

Sitting on the bed next to Vito, was Clone Sargeant, Kal. He sustained a moderate-severe concussion when attempting to pull Krell off of Steele, who was attempting to drown him.

Kal’s usual sleeked-back deep blue hair was covered under the white bandages that wrapped all over his head. He looked at Vito in pity as he told him the story of how he got punched.

“I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The general was  _ shaking _ when the commander telling everyone to retreat. And so, he released all his anger on me,” Vito pointed to his swelled-up purple eye.

“And you were wearing a helmet?” Kal asked.

“Yep. Useless piece of junk couldn’t even protect me.”

“How could you blame that? It was designed to shield us from droid blaster bolts, not a Jedi’s Force punches.”

The other clones who were listening in on Vito and Kal nodded in agreement. They were all bred for one purpose: to fight this war. A war that they barely understood.

And yet, they’re more afraid of their own general than of the droid army!

The doors to the recovery room opened and in walked General Aliyah Korentayer. The clones instantly felt a wave of safety wash over them.

“General Korentayer…”

“General…”

“What are you doing here…?”

Aliyah looked at the injured clones in concern. “Are you all alright?”

Kal stepped out of bed to show more respect to the highest ranking officer in the room. It was something he’s always done with Krell—no matter how injured he was. Old habits were hard to break.

“General, I—we—all of us have been wanting to say this for a long time,” Kal revealed. “Thank you. Thank you so much for standing up to General Krell that day. We really mean it. Thank you.”

The room echoed with ‘thank you’s’. Aliyah gently smiled and shook her head.

“I only did what any Jedi would’ve done if they saw the situation,” she explained.

“General Krell  _ is _ a Jedi,” Vito pointed out.

“Yes. He is.” Aliyah paused for a moment. Then she walked closer to the clones and sat down in a chair in front of them.

“Tell me, was that the first time Krell tried to kill your commander?” Her voice was low, as if she’s afraid someone might overhear.

“Tried to kill? Yes, that was the first time,” Kal answered.

“But he demeans him.” Another voice joined in.

It was Compass. He and Egad entered the room. Everyone greeted them. Aliyah turned her attention to the bald clone trooper.

“He demeans all of us.” Compass continued, “After every mission. For every ‘mistake’ we make. Ever since the start of this war!”

“It’s true,” another clone, Link, confirmed. “The general…he would always throw us out onto the front lines without any other strategy.”

“And he’d push us forward no matter how high the casualties rose until we finished the mission. That’s why we always strive to succeed,” Vito threw in.

“You already saw what he does if we fail,” Egad finished. “Though, that day after we came back from Mustafar. That was the hardest he’s ever gone on us.”

The room fell deathly silent. Then Aliyah stood up from her chair. Her grey eyes carefully hid any emotions she felt.

“I see. So your commander wasn’t telling me the whole truth. Thank you for being honest with me.”

“General Korentayer,  _ please _ .” Compass felt his voice crack. “You need to help him. Before Krell really does kill him one day.”

Aliyah puts a hand on Compass’s shoulder and smiled. It wasn’t a smile to make him feel cared about. But more like a smile that told him she knows what she’s doing.

Without saying another word, Aliyah left the room. As soon she did, her grey eyes uncovered all the emotions she felt when the clones told her of Krell’s treatment towards them.

Compass and the others were right.

She needs to help.

**_Next time on The Clone’s Hero, the 304th briefly assist the 501st in a short siege on Naboo. Steele meets the legendary Anakin Skywalker for the first time. A Jedi general who greatly contrasts his own, and who had the time to ask Steele where his so-called ‘battle wounds’ came from…_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N. I'll be updating this story every 4-7 days. If I need longer than a week, I'll notify you guys in the most recently posted chapter.
> 
> If you liked this chapter and want the story to continue. It’d mean a lot if you leave kudos and comments! :D
> 
> Thanks for reading,
> 
> MiraLake
> 
> *Extra A/N. To everyone worldwide. Please take extra care of yourself and your loved ones from this pandemic. COVID-19 shouldn't be taken lightly. But I'm sure you guys are all aware. I know I can't do much from behind a screen, but I wish you all the best! And hope things will get better soon!
> 
> My wishes go to all who are suffering. And to the people working tirelessly to bring an end to this virus as soon as possible!


	4. Punishment (Intro pt4)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N. Please DON'T BE AFRAID to give constructive criticism and feedback! Just type the words, and I can revise chapters and improve future ones!
> 
> You can even ask questions or give suggestions of your own! I'm all ears! :D
> 
> By the way, I'm aware of that fact clone commander ids are prefixed with CC instead of CT. But I purposely made Krell call Steele CT-3484, not CC-3484.
> 
> Why? Well, you'll just have to keep reading. ;)
> 
> Thanks for reading everyone! Don't forget to leave comments to reduce the chances of me getting writer's block!
> 
> *Dear readers, please take care of yourself and your loved ones from this pandemic. My country recently closed its borders and is making everyone stay at home.
> 
> I hope this new chapter can put some happiness into your lives during these times.
> 
> \- MiraLake

**Punishment**

**_Weakness in wartime is intolerable. So morality is sacrificed._ **

The short siege on Naboo was coming to a close. Jedi General Anakin Skywalker and the 501st legion were doing a good job holding the capital city of Theed.

However, they had some troubles when the Separatists decided to introduce a new deflector shield dome. It made taking their base camp harder more difficult.

So reinforcements were called.

Krell and the 304th were dispatched to help push back the remaining Separatist forces and take out the improved deflector shield. 

Much to Krell’s disappointment because he wanted his legion to be at its fullest when they’re deployed to Mustafar again.

Luckily for them, the 501st and Nabooian army did most of the dirty work. So by the time the 304th arrived, they just needed to fight one battle. And that was to destroy the shield activator.

Steele was asked to accompany Rex to disable the shield while the rest of the army focused on combatting the droids. Krell harshly reminded Steele to not get further injured before he left.

“Captain, place the deactivator!” Steele shouted at Rex, captain of the 501st and General Skywalker’s right-hand-man.

Rex quickly took out the deactivator from his bag and put it in place on the shield activator. Behind him, Steele and a couple of other clone troopers were covering him from incoming droid fire.

“Done!” Rex gave a quick thumbs up.

The clones all made a mad dash out of the Separatist base. Seconds later, the deactivator did its work and the deflector shield disappeared.

“Forward!” Anakin commanded his troops as soon as it happened.

The clones all rushed into enemy territory. The battle was quick with minor casualties. Eventually, the Separatists were pushed back beyond their base. And sent terms of surrender to the Nabooian government.

~ O O O ~

“The Separatists are going to resolve this diplomatically now,” Nabooian Senator, Padme Amidala, explained to Anakin and Krell. “Hopefully everything works out ok.”

“And if not?” Krell questioned.

“Well, then we’ll just handle them the easy way,” Anakin patted the lightsaber on his belt.

Senator Amidala gave him a glare. Anakin just smirked in return. Standing next to their respective generals, Rex and Steele took note of the interaction between Anakin and Padme. 

It definitely felt like something more than friendship.

The conversation between the generals and the politician ended before long. They soon headed their separate ways. The Senator went to report to the Queen and the generals returned to the Republic base.

As soon as they reached there, Krell pulled Steele by his arm and whispered to him.

“Any wounds you have, get it fixed now. I don’t know when we’ll be deployed to Mustafar again but you’d better be in top shape when we are!”

Looking behind his shoulder, Rex saw the Besalisk general whispering—rather harshly—to his clone commander. He watched as Krell squeezed the commander’s arm before leaving him be.

“Everything ok, Rex?” Anakin caught sight of his captain staring behind them.

“Huh? Oh, yes, general. I was just—making sure everything was ok between General Krell and his commander.”

“Oh, so was anything happening?”

Rex took one last look and saw Steele walk towards the infirmary. He shook his head at Anakin.

“Not anything to be concerned about…I think.”

~ O O O ~

At the infirmary, Steele carefully removed his helmet and arm guards. Then he rolled up his right sleeve, the arm which Krell was squeezing.

A nasty red hand mark circled around his multitude of green and purple bruises. The arm squeeze caused an old flesh wound to reopen as well.

Steele sighed and grabbed the necessary first-aid equipment to treat his wounds. The medics were all attending to clones with more serious injuries.

“That looks pretty bad.”

Steele looked up to see Captain Rex and General Skywalker walk up to him. He stood to salute. But Anakin made him sit back down before he could try.

“At ease, commander uh…”

“CT-3484,” Steele answered.

“That’s your number, what’s your name?” Anakin corrected.

After taking a quick look around, Steele said with a tired voice. “My men call me Steele.”

Anakin and Rex cautiously took a seat next to Steele. They were careful not to stare too much at his injuries. But it was hard not to.

Rex had never seen so many bruises on a soldier before. His head, his arm, his neck...what did he go through to get so many?

Steele caught them staring. 

“General, captain, please stop. I’m fine,” he insisted.

But Anakin wouldn’t let this go. “Where’d you go to get hurt this badly?”

“Geonosis. Felucia. Christophsis. Mustafar.” Steele refused the urge to add ‘Kamino’.

Rex let out a low whistle. “Mustafar…you and your men survived that. That’s impressive.”

Grabbing some gauze, Steele shook his head at Rex’s compliment. He wrapped the wound on his arm tightly and rolled his sleeve back down.

“We barely survived. Had to retreat,” Steele explained.

He stood up to grab some ice-packs for the throbbing pain from a bruise on the back of his neck. Anakin grabbed the ice for him.

Steele thanked General Skywalker before placing it against the area where Krell was holding him by. Dunking his head over and over again into the ice-cold water.

“Commander, forgive me for being too forward but, I find it hard to believe all of your wounds were sustained from the battlefield,” Rex confessed.

Anakin nodded in agreement. “Unless you were battling an army of commando droids using nothing but your bare hands.”

Bile was beginning to come up from Steele’s throat. He swallowed hard. Images of Krell’s lightsaber whizzing towards his head rushed through his mind.

Before Steele could answer, someone, tapped him on the shoulder.

“Commander,” Egad stood behind him. “You’re needed in the break room.”

Steele felt slight relief wash over him. He and Egad saluted and said their goodbyes. Leaving a confused but still concerned Anakin and Rex behind.

Suddenly, Rex realized something strange that Steele said earlier. “General Skywalker, he said his identification code was CT-3484, right?”

Anakin nodded. “Yes, why do you ask?”

“It’s just…well, he’s a commander. And—correct me if I’m wrong—but all commanders’ ids are prefixed with _CC,_ not _CT_ . Shouldn’t he have addressed himself as C _C_ -3484?”

That was interesting indeed. Anakin scratched his chin thoughtfully. “You’re not wrong, Rex. Hmmm. Maybe I should pay a little visit to his general.”

Outside, Egad walked with his commander. He had heard everything between him, General Skywalker, and Captain Rex. And he could see Steele was feeling uncomfortable with the topic so he quickly stepped in. But he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t upset.

“Commander, why didn’t you say something to General Skywalker? I heard he’s quite renowned amongst the Republic and the Jedi. The clones under his command respect him. Surely, if anyone can get us out of this mess, it’s him!” Egad whispered.

“If he’s as significant as you say he is, then why isn’t he on the Jedi Council?” Steele threw back.

Egad was dumbfounded. He didn’t know what to say. Steele did have a point. They asked General Ti for help before and nothing came out of it. And she was on the Council!

Looks like they’ll need another hope.

~ O O O ~

“General Krell!” Anakin walked up from behind.

Krell put away his comm. He was about to call and ask the Council when the 304th will be going to Mustafar. But it’ll have to wait. He turned his attention to Anakin.

“What is it, General Skywalker?”

“I know I probably shouldn’t be telling you this, but as a fellow Jedi and general…I think you should give your clone commander a short R&R.”

“I beg your pardon?”

Anakin sensed something stirring inside Krell. It wasn’t good. “Your clone commander, Steele? He needs a break. To let his injuries heal completely. It’s not good throwing him out in battle before he could fully recover.”

“General Skywalker,” Krell’s tone was hard but not disrespectful. “The way I lead my clones and the way you lead yours is incomparable.”

“I didn’t mean offence—” Anakin brought up his hands.

“—None took. After all, you’re the Jedi named the Chosen One and hero of the Republic, I expected just as much,” Krell gave him a hard stare.

Anakin eyed him carefully. “Krell, the clones are living beings too.”

“Bred in a laboratory by people who never gave a damn about the Republic until now. But yes, I’m aware of that.”

“And they do feel pain.”

Krell narrowed his eyes slightly. “I’m not sure what you’re implying, Skywalker.”

“I just thought it’d be in your best interest to let your commander heal completely. After all, you guys will be deployed to Mustafar again. It’s not the easiest place to fight in.”

“Skywalker, I know what I’m doing with my clones. Harsh as I may be. But this is a war. And you and I are more than just Jedi now. We are army leaders. All of us. We can’t pretend that we aren’t.”

“Of course, General Krell. I agree,” Anakin said honestly. “But—”

“—I’m glad to hear that. From what I see so far, you seem like a very charismatic leader. And extremely headstrong as well. Tell me, Skywalker. How many battles have you and your clones won?”

“Well, I don’t mean to brag, but _lots_ ,” Anakin smirked smugly.

“And how many have you lost?”

That took Anakin by surprise. He suddenly wished his new Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, was here with him and not on another assignment. “...less than the ones my we’ve won…how many battles how _you_ lost?”

“Two,” Krell said without a doubt in his voice. Anakin didn’t know what to say to that. “Do not question my leadership over my clones again, Skywalker. Thank you.”

With that, Krell walked away from Anakin, taking his comm with him. Anakin stood there like a statue. A bit dazed from the recent confrontation.

“Well, ok. Just trying to give out some friendly advice. But only two losses in this entire war so far…how is that possible?”

~ O O O ~

Steele wished he could stay on Naboo a little while longer. The fleet ride back to Kamino felt like a ride back to hell.

Throughout the entire ride, he avoided Krell like the plague. After talking to General Skywalker and Captain Rex about his injuries, Steele felt like a vulnerable insect.

And judging from the way Krell glared at him when they boarded the fleet to leave Naboo. Steele knew that he did something to offend his general again.

His fears came true the moment they entered Kamino’s atmosphere.

“Meet me in the briefing room,” Krell told Steele. He surprisingly didn’t try to intimidate him this time.

The fleet landed and everyone left to enter the Kamino headquarters. Steele took a couple of minutes to gather his courage. He had a bad feeling about this meeting with his general.

But like it or not. He can’t blatantly defy an order from Krell.

“I can do this…” Steele exhaled as he put on his helmet and stepped into the briefing room.

Krell stood by the large table in the middle of the room. It was just the two of them. If anything were to happen, Steele would be on his own.

All it takes is one slip-up. One ill-said sentence.

“Commander? Come here,” Krell pointed in front of him.

Steele was shocked to hear his general call him by his title instead of number. He walked up to Krell and the table.

“Sir?”

“It’s come to my attention that General Skywalker is aware of your ‘wounds’. What did you tell him exactly, commander?”

Steele knew it. He should’ve shut his mouth around General Skywalker. Too late now. It’s time to face the consequences.

“General Krell, I only told him what he asked of me.”

“And what did he ask of you?”

“Where’d I go to get hurt this badly. I told him it’s from the planets we were deployed to. Nothing more.”

The seconds between Steele telling his general that, and Krell squeezing his fists tightly, were unbearable. The air between them was so thick, a lightsaber could slice it in two.

Finally, Krell relaxed. “I see. Looks like you’re not all that bad, commander.”

Steele nearly choked on his saliva. Did the general just compliment him? Ok, he’s starting to think there’s another side to Krell all along.

Krell presented a large hologram map on the table. It showed the Mustafar hacking base and the area around it. He pointed at the front entrance of the base.

“Last time we tried to storm in from the front and walked straight into a trap. We will not do that again.”

“General, we did a lot of missions using frontal assaults. And the enemy always had something up their sleeves, that much is obvious. But 9 times out of 10, we emerged victorious. But that day on Mustafar…” Steele paused to find the right words. “I wasn’t prepared.

Krell took a long glance at his clone commander. “The enemy doesn’t care, commander. And neither should we. All that matters is, we failed. And the Republic can’t afford a second loss.”

Steele only nodded. Krell swiped to show his battlefield tactics. It displayed the majority of the 304th fighting at the front of the base.

“They will act as bait for the droid army. While a team composed of men you choose will sneak into the base from this entrance.” Krell pointed at a small hidden door on the pillar supporting the base building.

“And where will I be in this?” Steele asked. 

He didn’t particularly like the idea of using most of his men as bait. But he knew they can’t do another frontal assault. It nearly killed them all last time.

Krell pointed at the back of the battlefield. “You’ll be with me at the back. You’ll give out advice and commands when needed. In order to keep your men together.”

Steele felt his jaw drop. “In the back? Sir, I must protest. I’ve always led in the front—”

“Isn’t this what you wanted, commander? You and the other clones always seem to disagree with me whenever I have you in the frontlines.” Krell raised a brow at him.

“We’d disagree because we thought there were other ways than charging in from the front,” Steele explained. “But with this plan...you’d have almost all of my men putting their lives on the line to distract the army from noticing the infiltration team.”

Krell’s voice rose. “Which is why I need you in the back. To keep them organized and focused. You can only do that with a sane mind, CT-3484!”

So it’s back to CT-3484 again.

“Sir.”

Steele removed his helmet. He looked at his general. If there was one benefit from his goggles, it was the fact they can hide the emotions in his eyes.

And the emotions he felt now were anger and integrity. A strong sense of duty to protect his men. Just like how they’ve protected him countless times in the past.

“Your plan intentionally risks the lives of my men. Men who will be dying for a war they barely know about. If you're so adamant about this plan, put me out there with them. Otherwise, I refuse to go forward with this.”

 _Click_. Krell turned off the hologram map.

~ O O O ~

Across the hallway, Commander Wolffe of the 104th battalion saw Jedi General Pong Krell exit the briefing room. Unaccompanied.

“That’s funny, I swore I saw a clone enter as well…” Wolffe said to himself.

He looked at the briefing room for a little while longer. Waiting for the clone who entered after Krell to come out.

“Commander Wolffe?” A clone trooper came up to him. “You have an incoming call from General Plo.”

Wolffe took one last look at the door to the briefing room. Still, no one came out.

“Alright, so what’s the call about?” Wolffe asked the trooper.

They walked away from the briefing room. Which was a good thing. Because inside the room, stood a very quiet Steele.

He was still in front of the table. Standing as still as a statue. Behind his goggles, his eyes had a deadpan stare. As if his soul left his body.

Krell’s last conversation with him before he left the room still echoed in his mind.

_“That day after the failed Mustafar mission. When I swung my lightsaber at you. Did you think I was going to kill you?”_

_Steele’s breath stopped halfway up his throat. “...you looked like you were going to…general.”_

_Krell walked up to Steele. “CT-3484. I’d be the biggest fool in the galaxy to kill you. There’s a reason why you’re still standing here, alive, after being through many life-threatening situations. Because you’re a clone commander under_ **_my_ ** _command. And under my command, you’ve yet to show any signs of weakness.”_

_Steele felt Krell pace around him. Staring down at him with disapproving eyes. “But now I’m starting to see weakness in you. Helping more cadet squads in their training, telling General Skywalker about your wounds, and refusing to partake in my plan! Clones died under your leadership lots of times before, commander! So why are you so sensitive about it now? It doesn’t have to do with…”_

_Krell stopped directly behind Steele. “...the arrival of Jedi Knight Aliyah Korentayer, now does it?”_

_“No, sir,” said Steele. Sounding as normal as he could._

_“And now you’re lying to me,” Krell spat. “I should’ve known since the day she stepped to ‘save’ you. She has her master’s compassion but none of his rationale. And she’s spending too much time with you.”_

_Steele felt the heat leave his body as Krell backed off of him. He turned around, preparing to leave the briefing room. But not before saying one last thing._

_“Until you learn what it means to be a soldier of the Republic, you’ll be sleeping in the freezer, Senior ARC Commander CT-3484!"_

_Every hair on Steele’s body stood on end. General Krell NEVER called him by his full title before. This is not a good sign. Looks like Krell was angrier with him than he thought._

_"Starting tonight."_

~ O O O ~

The rest of the day went without many events. Krell still tried asking the Council for when he and the 304th will be sent to Mustafar. Shaak Ti oversaw the final exams of several more clone cadets. And Aliyah mingled with the clone officers of other legions.

Throughout it all, Steele did his best to avoid all three Jedi generals. Especially General Korentayer. He’s already got her into enough trouble with Krell.

Speaking of Krell. Steele couldn’t stop thinking about him and their last conversation in the briefing room. When Krell told him that he’d be the biggest fool in the galaxy to kill him…Steele didn’t know whether or not to believe it.

It’s been months since the start of the war. And Krell never showed an ounce of appreciation or pride towards the 304th. So they always assumed him to have something against them. Maybe Krell just looks down upon creatures that are 'lower' than him.

But when he said that ‘he’s yet to show any signs of weakness…’

Does Krell think his tactics and treatment are making the 304th stronger? Making them tougher? Maybe it did. 

But at the cost of their mental stability.

~ O O O ~

That night, when most of Kamino was asleep, Krell led Steele out of his barracks. They walked down the halls of the building. 

Turning around corners and going through doors that were all unfamiliar to Steele. Their surroundings got more and more cluttered with crates as they walked. It began to look like a storage warehouse of sorts. 

Steele refused to speak during the entire journey here. Something that Krell appreciated. Finally, they reached the freezer room.

A giant metal door with no visible handles or locks was in front of them. Krell drew an intricate pattern on a touchpad next to the door. Then with a delightful chime, the door opened.

Cold wisps of condensed air came out and hit Steele. He shivered. Krell opened the door some more and revealed the room inside. It was lit with white light and filled with specialized packages that required to be stored at this temperature.

Krell pushed Steele into the freezer. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

He threw him the sleeping bag he was carrying. Then the door was closed shut. Steele took a look around his new sleeping quarters. And felt the cold start to get to him.

Taking in a deep breath, Steele unrolled his sleeping bag and laid down. Preparing for a long, cold, sleepless night.

**_Next time on The Clone’s Hero, the effects of Krell’s punishment are starting to affect Steele’s performance on the battlefield. His ever so loyal clone troopers do their best to help him while they take on an impregnable Separatist fortress. But they’re starting to suspect Krell is doing something awful behind the scenes..._ **


	5. Near the breaking point (Intro pt5)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the kudos, bookmarks, and subscriptions!
> 
> If you have ideas, feedback, or suggestions, don't be afraid to leave them in the comments!
> 
> It truly makes me happy seeing people enjoy my story. Especially now, when I'm stuck in my house all day, wondering when the world will return to normal again.
> 
> Stay healthy everyone! :)

**Near the breaking point**

_**Every soldier, no matter how tough or experienced, has a breaking point.** _

"Commander look out!" A clone trooper ran up behind Steele—who was busy fighting off two super battle droids—and pushed him to the ground.

A wave of blaster bolts from recently appeared destroyer droids rushed over their heads. Those destroyers were quickly taken care of by a couple of droid poppers. Steele got to his feet with the help of the trooper who saved his life.

"T—thank you, Ignis," Steele said in a weak voice.

The trooper—Ignis, could feel his commander shaking under his armour. "Are you ok, commander? You seem a bit…out of it."

"Just a little tired, but n…nothing too serious," Steele assured before returning to the fight.

They were on a mission to take over a Separatist base on Utapau. The base was a large fortress built on steep mountainous terrain. It was rumoured to be impregnable.

" _We'll see about that,"_ was what Krell said to the Council when they assigned him this mission.

But after three days of nonstop battle, the 304th could see why the rumour existed in the first place.

The area surrounding the base was high and rocky. There weren't many places to scout or navigate around. In fact, the only way to storm the fortress was through the main path.

And of course, that meant lots and lots of enemy fire.

Perhaps that's why Krell and his men were sent. They were experts of the 'storming in from the front' tactic. But this time, the clones had a harder time spotting the droids and had fewer places to run for cover.

Nonetheless, Steele was adamant about completing this mission.

"Keep to the edge!" He shouted.

The clones all obeyed and rushed to the rocky walls surrounding the road passage. Ignis helped a slightly disoriented Steele to the edge while shooting at the endless wave of droids.

"Ignis! Is the commander alright?" Compass shouted between blaster shots. "Should we call a medic?"

"No!" Steele strained to stand up. He pointed at a large rocky arch behind the droid wave. "Push the clankers underneath that arch, then use the cannon to hit it! We'll crush them in the rubble! _Cough! Cough!"_

Compass looked at Steele. "Are you really alright, sir?"

More clone troopers were taking note of Steele's lower performance today. They all expressed concern for him.

"Sir, you should head to the back!"

"Someone get a medic here!"

"Just do what I tell y—you!" Steele shouted but then lowered his voice. "Please. Don't make things harder for me than it already is…"

Everyone listening looked at each other. They wanted to ask their commander for details on what he means by 'harder than it already is' but decided to just follow his orders instead.

"Sergeant, Egad, with me!" Compass shouted as he ran out in the open.

He tumbled behind a large boulder and started shooting at the droids at the front. Kal and Egad followed him and alternated between each boulder while shooting at the droids.

More and more clones followed their example. It was effective, they were pushing the droids back to the rocky arch.

"Now!" Steele shouted shakily from the sides.

Another trooper rushed up with a rocket cannon and fired a single shot at the arch. It broke apart upon impact and fell towards the majority of the droids below.

"Oh no, look out!" The droids cried too late.

The rocks demolished the entire front wave of droids and blocked the path for more droids to come down. Two clone troopers scouted above the rock pile and saw the battalion turning back.

"They're returning to the fortress, commander!" One of the troopers shouted.

Steele contacted Krell. "Gene...ral, we've managed to claim more territory. Our d—distance to the fortress is closing."

"Alright, CT-3484. I'll be coming down soon."

~ O O O ~

The clones set up a temporary base by the time General Krell arrived. He inspected everything with judging eyes. And walking around with him, was a very tired Commander Steele.

Everywhere they passed by, clones looked at their commander with worry. But didn't dare say anything while Krell was around.

Finally, Krell finished inspecting. He turned to Steele. "We've been wasting too much time on this mission. We need to get it done now."

"S...sir, the m—men need a break…" Steele said in a choppy voice.

"The men? Or _you_ , CT-3484?" Krell challenged.

That was heard by a couple of nearby troopers, including Compass and Egad. They opened up their ears to the conversation between their general and commander.

Krell leaned in close to Steele. "We're sitting like fools out here! Every second we spend to make camp and recover, the enemy is preparing for the next attack! First thing tomorrow, you're going to march straight up to the front entrance of the fortress! Do you hear me? Does everyone hear me?"

The general's voice bounced off the rocky walls and travelled across the base camp. All the clones nodded in response. They were grateful they had their helmets on. So the general couldn't see them glaring at him.

"Good. Now rest up! I'll be expecting each and every one of you in top shape by tomorrow!" Krell boomed before walking off.

Later that day, Steele was approached by several of his men. All of them were angry by their general's lack of empathy towards him.

"Commander, you're in NO condition to fight tomorrow!" Egad insisted. "The distance to the fortress is nearly triple the distance between here and our last camp! And you nearly fell twice in battle since the start of this mission!"

Steele pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. He wrapped his canvas blanket tighter around him before speaking.

"What do you want me to do? T—tell the general I'm not feeling well, let's call in another b—battalion? Heh…I'd be digging my own grave."

"You'd be digging your own grave even if you decide to go with the general's plan!" Kal made his way to Steele and opened a hologram map of the area. "I have something better."

Everyone huddled around Kal. The clone sergeant explained his idea. "Our spies reported a droid charging station not too far down along this path. It's not heavily guarded. If we can take that out, the droids will have no way of recharging themselves during the battle tomorrow!"

Steele thought about it carefully. It did seem plausible. "If we can keep the fight going long enough t—tomorrow, the droids will be out of power eventually. And they'll have no immediate way to recharge. Hmmm. Hy…pothetically speaking, when will this plan take place?"

"When else can it take place? Tonight, sir." Kal closed the hologram map.

"How many…men do you need?" Steele asked.

"Commander! You're agreeing to this?"

Steele nodded. "But on one condition. I'm coming with you. If the general finds out about this, I—I'd rather he takes it out on me."

~ O O O ~

Night came and Kal's plan went into action. The group of ten clones snuck past enemy lines. Amongst them were Kal, Egad, Compass, Vito, five hand-picked troopers by Steele, and Steele himself.

Using the cover of darkness, they dashed across the perilous terrain towards the charging station. The area was filled with hidden dangers, from sinkholes to rockslide-prone ground. But they were careful.

Soon, they reached the rocky ledge where they could spot the charging station from above. A couple of droids were on guard.

Steele signalled for the fighting to start.

Kal and a couple other troopers threw droid poppers, disabling the majority of the guards. Then Compass, Egad, and the rest came down. They quickly disposed of the remaining guards using stunners instead of blasters to avoid being heard.

"Excellent work, men!" Steele praised, especially Kal since it was his idea.

Kal and Egad went up to the charging station and took out some bombs from their backpacks. "These should make quick work of the station."

Right before they were about to put the bombs down, a blaster shot was heard.

"Ugh!" Steele cried in pain as he felt that very shot barely graze his shoulder.

"Commander!" Everyone cried.

But they didn't have time to tend to his wound. From the darkness, appeared a couple of droid commandos. The clones quickly took out their blasters and shot at them.

"Get the commander to safety!" Compass shouted as he fired endlessly at the approaching group of commando droids.

Steele and Vito backed up from the charging station while the others stood their grounds and fought. The commandos were extremely durable and acrobatic.

It took quite a lot of blaster bolts to get one down. But the clones needed to finish this quickly. Before the ruckus that they're making attracts more droids to come down.

Slowly but surely, the clones took care of the commandos. One commando, however, managed to break through and charged at Vito and Steele.

"Get down!" Steele pushed Vito out of the way.

Steele reached for his blaster but couldn't grab it in time. The commando jumped on top of him and pinned him down to the ground.

Before Vito could shoot at the commando, two more appeared from behind him. He quickly turned his attention to them.

The commando on top of Steele attempted to shoot him with its E-5 blaster rifle but Steele grabbed hold of the weapon. Despite his shivering body, he managed to direct the blaster to the side of his head before the bolts came out.

Then with his other hand, he picked up a nearby rock and pelt it against the commando's robotic fingers. Removing the blaster from its grip and taking it for himself.

_Bang!_

Steele shot the droid on top of him with its own weapon. The heat radiating from the blaster nearly made him drop it.

He then turned to the two commandos Vito was fighting and took them out using the same blaster despite the uncomfortable heat.

By now, most of the commandos were down. But the clones could hear metal marching in the distance.

"The c—clankers heard us. We need to finish this!" Steele shouted at Kal and Egad.

The two clones nodded and quickly put the bombs down again. They activated the timers and gestured for everyone to run.

"Quickly!" Egad yelled as the droids' marching got louder.

He and Vito helped Steele run away from the area. As soon as the droids reached the charging station, the timer finished counting.

The place exploded.

~ O O O ~

"I lost the charging station!" Separatist leader, San Hill complained to a hologram video of Count Dooku. "Even if I make the remaining droids fight, they'll run out of power eventually! And the clones will break through!"

"Then make sure the clones run out of power first. We have the numbers and the environment to our advantage," Count Dooku assured.

But San Hill wasn't convinced. "The clones are led by Jedi General Pong Krell! He's known for his ruthlessness and knows no mercy! Even for a Jedi! And the clones of his legion are just the same as him! I'm sorry, Count. But if I stay here, I won't get out alive."

After that, Count Dooku reluctantly let San Hill and the remaining droid army leave Utapau. Allowing Krell and the 304th legion to take the fortress without a fight.

Steele and Kal were shocked at this revelation. "Wow…I didn't think they'd actually leave, commander."

"It doesn't matter, sergeant. The mission is over. W—We have won," Steele assured with a small smile. The shaking in his voice seemed to have disappeared slightly.

"Yes, we've won. But at the cost of disobeying my direct orders, CT-3484." Krell suddenly appeared in front of them.

Kal immediately stepped forward. "It was my idea, general. If anyone is to be court-martialed, it's me."

Krell glared at the clone sergeant before him. "Bold of you to assume I'd let you even be court-martialed, CT-7701! If you were the one who sanctioned last night's bombing mission then you'd be dead! But it wasn't you!" Krell looked at Steele who was clenching his jaw tightly.

"Yes…general. It was me. I was the one who allowed the b—bombing mission."

Krell backed off of Kal. "May I ask why?"

Steele cleared his throat of mucus. "I simply felt that it'd give us an advantage over the clankers during our frontal-assault. I didn't expect it to scare away the Separatist in charge here."

"I see," Krell sounded almost amused. "But you still have a long way to go before I'm pleased with you, CT-3484."

"Yes, sir. I understand." Steele knew exactly what his general meant. It meant he's not taking him out of the freezer yet.

Steele didn't know how much longer he could take it. He considered himself to be very tolerant of his general's treatment towards him. But if he's going to be honest with himself.

He's nearing his breaking point.

Soon, Krell left them alone and Steele went to check up on the other clones. Kal went to Compass and Egad. He wanted to make sure he's not the only one suspecting what he's suspecting.

"I suspect that the general has to do with our commander's recent declining abilities. Am I wrong to think this?" Kal asked.

Egad and Compass shook their heads. The latter supported Kal wholeheartedly. "Nope. You're absolutely right. There's something wrong here. It feels off."

"I say that we follow Krell and the commander once we arrive back on Kamino," Egad suggested. "See what's really going on behind the scenes."

~ O O O ~

Things were easier said than done. Once the 304th arrived back on Kamino, Egad, Compass, and Kal were forced to write their own reports of the Utapau mission. Since they had a direct hand in bringing it to a swift end.

While they were busy doing that, Krell and Steele disappeared from their sight.

So they continued to go through the day as usual. They'll just talk to the commander after lunch.

But during lunch in the mess hall, the commander was nowhere to be seen. Oh, well. They'll just talk to him at dinner.

Dinner rolled around and the three clones still didn't see their commander in the mess hall. Where is he?

Curfew came about and the three clones retired to their barracks. Their commander was nowhere to be seen.

The next morning, they quickly ran to the mess hall to see if their commander's already up. But still no such luck. They haven't seen him at all since arriving at Kamino!

"He's not training cadet squads today! He didn't show up for any meals yesterday! If he's stuck in a debriefing then it must be one hell of a debriefing!" Compass twirled his finger at the right side of his temple.

The three clones were walking down the halls together. It was nearing their curfew. And they still haven't been able to talk to Steele. _Where in Kamino could he be?_ They thought.

And that's when Krell's brown Jedi robes fluttered around the corner down the hall. Egad pointed at their general.

"Follow him!" He whispered to his two clone brothers.

Immediately, the three clones tagged behind their unsuspecting general. Following him at a good distance, since they don't want to be detected by Krell's 'Jedi mind abilities.'

They got further and further from the common areas of Kamino headquarters and into the back storage rooms. It became harder to follow him without being caught.

But they were determined in finding out where Krell's going. And more importantly, where their commander is.

Soon, they reached a warehouse-like area. Watching from behind a pile of crates, the clones witness Krell opening the door to the freezer and throwing inside a pack of rations.

"Don't forget to eat, CT-3484. These rations aren't easy to come by."

Compass's loud gasp caused Kal and Egad to quickly cover his mouth. Krell closed the doors to the freezer and turned around to leave. He walked right past the three hidden clones.

As soon as he was gone. They rushed out and Compass nearly made a break for the freezer door. But Egad stopped him.

"Compass, wait!"

"Let me go! I'm busting that door down! I'm getting the commander out of there!"

Egad pulled his comrade back. "We need to think about this thoroughly first! Otherwise, we'll just get the commander into more trouble!"

Kal had an idea. "We need to get help from a higher up."

All three clones knew exactly who to go to. They ran out of the warehouse room, with the goal of finding General Korentayer.

~ O O O ~

"Has anyone seen General Korentayer?"

They asked all around. But so far, no one did. Kamino's headquarters was so big. Surely at least one trooper here saw the young human Jedi.

Finally, they met a trooper who did. He pointed them in the direction of the examination room. "I saw her talking to General Shaak Ti and Commander Colt. She might still be there."

"Thanks!" Kal appreciated that.

They all rushed to the exam room. Sure enough, General Korentayer was there, donning a long brown Jedi cloak. What a sight for sore eyes.

She ended her conversation with Shaak Ti and Commander Colt. Shaak Ti prepared to leave the area while Colt, Bric, El-Les, and a couple of other clone commanders entered the exam overview room. Aliyah was about to follow when someone called her name.

"General! General Korentayer!" Compass and Kal shouted.

Aliyah turned around. "Compass, Egad, Sergeant Kal. What is it?"

"It's the commander. He's…" Compass didn't know how to explain it. But the look on Aliyah's face showed him that she has an idea of what he's trying to say.

"He's what? What happened to him?" Her usual calm tone of voice had a hint of panic in there.

"It's better if we show you. Come with us!" Egad gestured.

Aliyah turned to Commander Colt. "I'm sorry but I need to be somewhere. Tell me how the Domino Squad does."

"Of course, general," Colt said before entering the room.

Shaak Ti looked at the worried expressions of the three clones and whispered to Aliyah. "If you need any assistance, don't hesitate to call me. Though I may not be able to leave until after all the exams are finished."

Aliyah nodded and followed Egad, who was leading the way. Compass and Kal ran close behind.

They sped through the halls and eventually reached the place where the freezer door was. Egad pointed at the door.

"The commander's in there. Or at least that's what it seemed like when General Krell came a few minutes ago," Egad explained.

They rushed up to the giant metal door. Compass banged on it. "Commander? Can you hear me?"

"He's in there. I can sense him," Aliyah confirmed.

That may be so. But there was no reply. Aliyah immediately ordered the troopers to start playing around with the door and touchpad which unlocks it. But the door was sealed pretty tight.

"I'm afraid I'm no expert when it comes to cracking locks," Kal hit the touchpad in frustration.

"We can pry the door open!" Compass suggested. "It's not intricately designed. There's only two big bolts keeping it locked! If we force it out of the way, we can open the door!"

"Really? Let me inspect it." Aliyah stepped forward and put a hand on the door. She concentrated hard. "You're right. It's not that complex."

"Can you open it, general?" Egad asked.

Aliyah nodded as she backed from the door. "Move back, boys."

She lifted her left hand and focused on using the Force. Though the clones couldn't see it, they could hear the sound of the door's mechanisms being moved around.

A couple of clicks and scrapes later, the door was unlocked. Aliyah swung the door open with the Force. And the four of them were greeted with a jaw-dropping sight.

"Steele!" Aliyah cried.

_**Next time on The Clone's Hero, Krell's punishment for Steele is exposed. And Aliyah is becoming extremely intolerant towards the way the ruthless Jedi General treats his clone commander…** _


	6. The Two Generals (Intro pt6)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Note: I've been trying to keep a consistent schedule of updating every 4 days. But the next chapter MAY TAKE LONGER THAN 4 DAYS to be released. I'm sorry, with this pandemic going on and everyone being quarantined, I've got a lot of responsibilities to do at home and at work (I'm on a co-op work term currently).
> 
> Thanks for the kudos and comments! Keep them coming! :)

**The Two Generals**

_**The truth is often ugly.** _

Steele was falling in and out of consciousness. General Krell came a few minutes ago to throw him some rations. But he barely had the strength to get up and retrieve them.

He had removed his goggles to sleep better but it was impossible to do so in this cold. At this point, he's pretty much equivalent to frozen food.

Lying sprawled across his sleeping bag, and wearing nothing but his standard-issue red pajamas, Steele forced himself to keep awake. Afraid that if he closes his eyes, he may never open them again. But it was difficult.

Just as he was about to fall unconscious again, he heard the door to the freezer slam open. And several voices shout.

"Commander!"

He quickly felt around for his goggles and put them on as soon as he grabbed it. General Korentayer and three of his men: Compass, Egad, and Kal rushed into the freezer.

The general immediately removed her brown Jedi cloak and wrapped it around Steele's shivering body. She held him close and felt the coldness radiating off of him.

Steele looked up at her. Despite his blurry vision, he could see the expression on her face. She looked like she'd seen a ghost.

"Commander! Are you alright?" Compass knelt in front of him.

Aliyah looked at Steele's hands, which were on the verge of turning blue. "Why are you here? Who put you here?" She demanded.

"Was it General Krell?" Kal asked venomously.

Steele felt his tongue slur whenever he attempted to speak. His vision was hazy so he waited until it cleared up. As soon as it did, he saw someone he did not want to see standing at the opened doorway.

"...go…now…!" Steele managed to say as he lifted a finger to point behind them.

Aliyah and the three clones turned their heads around to see General Krell enter the room. Compass stood up and pointed an accusing finger at his general.

"You! Don't take another step closer!"

Krell laughed. "Do you really think you have the authority to tell me that?"

He harshly Force-pushes the three clones back. But before they could hit the wall, they were Force-pulled back by Aliyah. She carefully set them in front of Steele before standing up to face Krell.

"General Krell, what is the meaning of this?" She demanded. "What did your commander do to deserve this kind of treatment?"

"Whatever he did, that's none of your business, Korentayer! You need to learn your place and stop messing with my clones!" Krell glared daggers at her. "Unless you want to mess with me."

Aliyah returned the glare. "Then mess with you I shall. If that's what it takes for you to stop torturing the men of your legion! Does it please you to see them suffer!?"

"It pleases me to see them _not_ exhibit signs of weakness!" Krell shouted.

"Oh, so we retreated _once_ out of all our battles since the beginning of the war! And you call us weak?" Egad crossed his arms. "The commander saved our lives back on Mustafar! I don't know what your definition of weakness is but that's not it!"

"I agree," Aliyah added.

Krell clenched his jaw. Then he looked at Steele who was sitting shakily on his sleeping bag behind General Korentayer and the three clones. He gestured for him to come over.

"CT-3484, get over here at once."

Before Steele could even move, Aliyah spoke. "Stay right where you are, commander."

"So you want to play this the hard way?" Krell towered over the young Jedi.

But Aliyah kept her composure. "Try me."

The two generals just stared at each other. Waiting for the moment to strike the other down. Not with the Force or lightsabers. But with a better reason for Steele to follow them.

~ O O O ~

Shaak Ti didn't know how much worse this day could get. First, she was informed that the Domino Squad failed to pass their exam. Now, she learns that Krell has been subjecting his clone commander to cruel punishment.

The Togruta Jedi Master sat in a large meeting room with Generals Krell and Korentayer. Trying to diffuse the current situation.

"So you're telling me your commander defied direct orders from you, that's why you put him in the freezer?" Shaak Ti confirmed with Krell.

Krell nodded. "In times of war, we can't have disobedient soldiers. Especially soldiers who are bred to follow orders without question."

"And we also can't forget basic moral principles. Otherwise, we're no different from Count Dooku or General Grievous," Aliyah countered.

The two started arguing again until Shaak Ti broke it off. "That is enough!"

She stood in between them. "Krell, I'm going to be honest. I've been tolerating your treatment of the 304th for quite some time. I was hoping you'd change your ways after I reported you to the Council. Clearly, you haven't."

Krell shook his head. "You say nothing has changed but you're not the one leading them on the battlefields. The only reason you think this is because of Korentayer's meddling presence."

"My meddling presence?" Aliyah scoffed. "It was _your_ men who brought me to Commander Steele!"

"Aliyah please—" Shaak Ti held the girl back. But she resisted.

"Have you forgotten what it means to be a Jedi?"

Krell ignored that. "Have you forgotten that we're in a galaxy-wide war?"

"That's still no excuse to abuse the men under your command!" Aliyah threw back.

"Ha! You act as you know them so well, young Korentayer. What in the galaxy did Plo Koon teach you about clones?"

Aliyah stopped resisting Shaak Ti's grip on her and relaxed. She took a couple of seconds to calm herself before answering Krell's question.

"That they aren't meant to be expendable."

Outside the meeting room, a couple of clones from the 304th were listening to the conversation from inside. Their eyes opened wide upon hearing General Korentayer's words.

No one's ever said that about them before.

Inside, Krell backed down a bit. "I see. Like Master, like Padawan…I think I understand why you are the way you are."

Aliyah did her best to control her growing anger. Shaak Ti put a comforting hand on her shoulder. Giving Aliyah a look that tells her to sit back and let her take over from here.

"Enough with this, Krell. Whether or not Aliyah interfered with your legion's internal affairs, your actions are still unacceptable," Shaak Ti's face told him that she was not fooling around anymore. "You will cease your commander's 'punishment' as of today."

Krell put all four arms behind his back confidently. "I will not."

"You'd defy a Jedi Master of the High Council?" Shaak Ti's eyes hardened.

"This punishment I'm putting my clone commander through is necessary. But, I might consider going easier on him if…" Krell looked directly at Aliyah. "...you send Korentayer back to Coruscant."

"Back to Coruscant? No!" Compass said aloud while putting his ear against the meeting room door.

Kal and Egad quickly pulled him back before the generals inside could hear him.

Shaak Ti became curious. "Why send her back? Was she directly involved with the events leading up to your commander's defiance?"

Krell scratched his chin. "Let's just say her being here is influencing some 'impermissible' thoughts among my clones. Especially my commander."

Shaak Ti turned around to Aliyah, who gave her a 'what is he talking about?' look. The Togruta Jedi knew that she was telling the truth and faced Krell again.

"Tell me what you mean by going 'easier' on your commander."

"I'll raise the temperature in the freezer just enough so he won't suffer as much," Krell clarified. "And I'll cut down the initial length of his punishment."

Aliyah thought quietly about that for a while. Then she walked past Shaak Ti and up to Krell. Finally coming to an answer.

"Alright. I'll return to Coruscant, and you'll fulfill your end of the promise." Her voice was sincere. "But don't think for a second that your actions are justifiable, Krell."

Shaak Ti stepped forward to protest. "Aliyah, I have to disagree. You're here to learn under my tutelage. Whatever you did with Krell or his commander, it shouldn't affect your learning."

"Master, if I can lower Commander Steele's pain by even a little bit, then I'll do it. My leaving here will benefit him. Right?" She looked to Krell for an answer.

He only stared down at her. "That'll depend on whether or not you truly leave."

"Then I'll leave tonight. Is that ok?"

Krell nodded. He finally left the room, satisfied with the conclusion of the meeting. The clones outside made way for him when he exited. Shaak Ti took Aliyah's arm and tried to dissuade her from leaving.

"Young one, do not fear Pong Krell. I'll handle him. You don't need to leave tonight. His mistreatment of the 304th has gone on long enough," Shaak Ti assured her.

But Aliyah gently removed the Jedi Master's hand from her arm. "Don't worry. I'm not planning on doing nothing after I leave tonight."

~ O O O ~

A couple of minutes later, Shaak Ti also left the meeting room. She needed to talk to the bounty hunters and Lama Su about the future of Domino Squad.

Truthfully, she felt that the cadets should be given a second chance at the exam. They needed to learn the value of teamwork.

Finally, Aliyah left the room. She sighed in exasperation as she walked out. The 304th clones who were overhearing the conversation, all went up to her.

Kal was the first to speak.

"General, I'm so sorry about this." He meant getting her sent back to Coruscant. "It was my idea to bring you to the commander."

Aliyah held up a hand in assurance. "You did the right thing, sergeant. Now, Krell's actions are out in the open."

Compass agreed. But he was still upset that Krell refused to take Steele out of the freezer. "The general has absolutely no regard for his life! Or our lives for the matter!"

"I hear you, Compass," Aliyah said. "Hmm. It actually might be a good thing that I'm sent back to Coruscant. Both the Jedi Council and the Senate are located there."

"General Ti already tried in the past—" Egad stated.

"—and I'll try now, in the present," Aliyah interrupted. "With a different tactic."

The clones were silent. Have their prayers finally been answered? But what exactly did General Korentayer have in mind? She's only a recently knighted Jedi. No seat on the Council, no favour with the Senate. How is she going to help them?

Before Aliyah started to walk away, one of the clones, Coal, asked her. "General, what you said about us…'not being expendable…' did you really mean it?"

She slowly waited for all of their attention before giving a firm answer.

"Yes."

The 304th clones felt something they thought they'd never feel in their lifetime. Appreciation and pride. General Korentayer made them feel like their lives matter.

~ O O O ~

Steele has been sitting in a private room near the infirmary for quite some time. He was given warm liquids and a heated comforter to combat his hypothermia.

But he knew there was no point to this. Krell would put him back in the freezer tonight anyways.

Looking to the side of his bed, he gazed at General Korentayer's brown cloak folded neatly. He had forgotten to give it back to her.

"I'll give it back when I see her again," he reminded himself.

The doors to the room opened. And Aliyah walked in.

Speak of the devil.

"Commander, how are you feeling now?" She grabbed a chair to sit in front of him.

"Honestly? I've been better," Steele grabbed her folded cloak and handed it back to her. "Here, general."

Aliyah pushed her cloak back to him. "Not yet. Give it back to me later."

"'Later?' Why later?"

"Because I'm returning to Coruscant tonight."

Steele was speechless. Great, he got her in more trouble with Krell again. He carefully set the cloak back down and shook his head.

"My general's responsible for that, isn't he?" He sighed. "You shouldn't have been involved."

"I've been involved longer than you think. Don't feel guilty that I'm in this mess."

Aliyah got out of her chair and sat on the edge of Steele's bed. She stared intensely at him like she's trying to see through his goggles and into his eyes.

"Stay alive, commander. That's an order."

Then she got up and left. Leaving Steele to wonder how he's supposed to stay alive. With the way Krell treats him and his men.

But no matter what, he sure as hell won't be giving up without a fight.

~ O O O ~

As soon as Aliyah left Steele's room, she went to her's to gather any belongings to take back to Coruscant. While walking down to her room, she bumped into someone familiar.

"Commander Wolffe!"

The commander of the 104th battalion turned around, along with the troopers he was walking with. They were all members of his and Plo Koon's 'Wolfpack'.

Wolffe immediately brightened upon seeing his former comrade. "Hey! Never thought to see you here of all places! How have you been, kid?"

"Not a kid anymore, commander," Aliyah smiled as she crossed her arms. "And you should show more respect to a general."

The clones of Wolfpack laughed while Wolffe rolled his eyes.

To them, it was only yesterday that this girl was still co-commander of their battalion. Fighting alongside them and her former Master: their highly-respected General Koon.

"Right…" Wolffe said teasingly. "Like that's going to happen."

Aliyah raised a brow. "Oh, I guess you're all asking for a week of cleaning duty then."

"Apologies, General Korentayer," Wolffe quickly straightened himself. But then burst out laughing. "I'm sorry, that title just sounds so foreign. I'll need some time to get used to it."

"Haha. Well, truth be told, I'm not used to being called 'general' yet either," Aliyah admitted.

One of the troopers, Boost, stepped forward. "It's alright. The commander here didn't believe you would pass your Jedi trials—ow!"

Wolffe kicked Boost in the shin to shut him up. Aliyah looked at Wolffe in shock. "Commander! I thought you had faith in me!"

"Well. Maybe I was hoping that you'd stick around with the Pack a little longer," Wolffe said truthfully.

Aliyah couldn't help but smile at that. "I miss you guys too. By the way, how's my Master doing so far?"

Sinker gave her a thumbs up. "The general's as well as ever. He's real proud of you, kid—er, General Korentayer."

" _Sigh_. It's ok. Like Wolffe said, 'it'll take time.'"

Wolffe nodded. "Anyways, how long are you stationed here for? We should all grab a bite to eat one of these days!"

Aliyah shook her head sadly. "Sorry, but I'm leaving for Coruscant tonight. And I don't know when I'll be back again."

Comet groaned a little. "So soon? Why? Did you get in trouble or something?"

"It's kind of hard to explain right now…" Aliyah winced.

In the distance, she could see Krell walking down the hall towards them. She held back a scowl of disgust. Appreciative of the fact that he's not walking towards them.

"Say, Wolffe? Are you acquainted with the commander of the 304th legion, Steele?" Aliyah asked out of the blue.

"Steele?" Wolffe thought about it for a second before nodding. "Yeah, I heard about him. Toughest soldier I've ever seen so far. Always going to battles covered in cuts and bruises. And still comes back alive."

"Look out for him while I'm gone, will you?"

"I look out for all my brothers."

"Look out for him with _Krell_ ," Aliyah clarified.

She nodded towards the very Jedi she just mentioned. The troopers of Wolfpack turned their heads and saw Krell in the distance, walking intimidatingly down the hall.

Wolffe has an idea as to why his former co-commander is getting sent back to Coruscant. He agreed to her request.

"Will do, general."

"Thanks. I'll be keeping in touch with all of you. So, please. Be careful."

That night, Aliyah left Kamino in a Republic fleet. Shaak Ti and Krell watched as she board, the latter needed to make sure she really left with his own eyes.

As soon as the fleet took off, Krell returned to the building and dragged Steele to the freezer again.

Shaak Ti made sure that Krell adjusted the temperature enough so Steele won't get hypothermia. But it was still cold nonetheless.

This time, as Steele laid down to rest. He didn't feel entirely hopeless. General Korentayer told him to stay alive.

Might as well fight harder than he was fighting before.

"After all, she did order me to stay alive," Steele mumbled to himself before drifting off to sleep.

_**Next time on The Clone's Hero, Wolffe looks out for Steele and does whatever he can to ease his suffering. All of the 304th learns of their commander's punishment and are livid. Fortunately, Aliyah's plan to help them out is finally commencing…** _


	7. Kidnap or rescue? (Intro pt7)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *I've received some fanart from a reader. And I love it! If you want to submit art based on this story. Email me here: fanficwriteronthelake@gmail.com
> 
> A/N. Hello, everyone! I'm still alive! Sorry for the long wait, things were pretty chaotic over the past week.
> 
> But most of it's under control now!
> 
> Once again, thanks for the comments and kudos! They mean the WORLD to me!
> 
> Enjoy this new chapter and remember to stay at home! :)
> 
> Thank you all for being patient and waiting for this chapter! I promise to try my best and not let my update schedule be disrupted again.
> 
> And leave comments if you have a question, suggestion, or just want to join my army of writer's block slayers!
> 
> See you all next time! :)
> 
> \- MiraLake

**Kidnap or rescue?**

_**Desperate times call for desperate measures.** _

" _Master!" Aliyah ran onto the Jedi Temple hangar._

_Plo Koon and a couple of his clones were about to board a Republic fleet. He turned around upon hearing his former Padawan call him._

" _What is it, 'Liyah?" He asked._

_She jumped forward and wrapped her arms around him tightly. "Be safe."_

_Plo returned the hug. "I will."_

" _Tell Wolffe and the rest I said 'hello'," she added._

" _I will do that too."_

_Aliyah didn't usually feel scared whenever her former Master was sent away on missions. But this time was different._

_This time, she wouldn't be by his side, fighting with him._

_And what's worse, the mission he's going on involves finding the mysterious Separatsist warship, the Malevolence. It's been destroying all the Republic fleets and leaves NO survivors._

_There was a good chance Plo and his men would not be returning._

_She gave Plo one last squeeze and said, "may the Force be with you," before letting go._

_The Kel Dor Jedi stroked a strand of Aliyah's hair; where her Padawan braid used to be. It was something he always did whenever she felt uneasy._

" _Once I come back, I'll help you out on your plan. The clone from your vision right?"_

_Aliyah nodded in response. Plo knew how much this meant to her._

" _Don't worry too much. You've always done a good job avoiding bad visions," he assured._

" _Because you were there to guide me, Master."_

" _And now, you will be guiding me," Plo said before boarding the fleet._

That was a couple days ago.

Now, the mission is over. The Malevolence has been destroyed. But the casualties were heavy.

Plo practically lost his entire battalion. The only survivors besides himself were Wolffe, Sinker, and Boost.

And that was due to the efforts of Ahsoka Tano and her Master, Anakin Skywalker. Everyone else, unfortunately, perished in the mission.

Wolffe had them change their armour colour to a dark grey-blue to honour their fallen brothers. He couldn't imagine going through something like that ever again.

"Welcome to my life," Steele said sarcastically.

Wolffe just finished telling him about his mission with tracking the Malevolence.

The clone marshal commander of the 104th battalion was keeping his promise to Aliyah. He's been looking out for Steele ever since she left.

The two of them sat in the freezer. Wolffe managed to get the touchpad code from Shaak Ti so he could pay Steele a visit whenever General Krell was not around.

Wolffe handed him another energy bar. "I don't envy you. Losing so many good soldiers must be tough."

"Thanks," Steele accepted the bar. "And yeah, it's tough. It doesn't get any easier. But at least you got a general who values your life."

" _We're just clones sir. We're meant to be expendable," Sinker said to Plo while they were stranded in space in their escape pod._

" _Not to me," Plo answered just seconds before their rescuers arrived._

Wolffe recalled that memory. Those three words that his general said that day, will forever be engraved in his heart.

He scooted closer to Steele. "And you have my general's former apprentice who values yours."

Steele smiled a little. "Yeah, she's…nice."

Unfortunately that was the best description Steele could come up with at the time.

Wolffe chuckled. "You might want to change your word choice once you get to know her."

"What makes you think I'll be getting to know her?"

"Well, she does seem to take a liking to you."

Steele looked down. "...She pities me. That's all."

The two clone commanders talked for a couples minutes more. Then Wolffe checked the time and realized Krell may be coming back.

He got up to leave. "Use those extra blankets I brought tonight. Hang in there, my friend."

"Thank you," Steele nodded in appreciation.

~ O O O ~

Wolffe got out of the freezer area before Krell arrived. To his relief. He didn't want to make up a story behind why he was walking out of there.

"That Besalisk better not try anything," Wolffe muttered as he entered the main Kamino headquarters again.

It felt strange walking here all of a sudden. There were clones all around him, but he felt lonely.

And guilty.

When he, General Plo, Sinker, and Boost we're trapped in their escape pod. He didn't have his gear on. So he couldn't help defend the pod from hunting droids.

"What difference would it make?" He shook his head in agony. "Everyone was already dead at that point."

"Commander Wolffe?"

He turned around to see Kal. A clone sergeant from the 304th legion. Standing next to him were the surviving two Wolfpack members, Boost and Sinker.

Kal had a sympathetic expression on. "I heard about what happened with the _Malevolence_. I'm sorry. I know it doesn't mean much but—"

"—no, I'm sorry." Wolffe corrected. "I've turned a blind eye to all the hints pointing to your legion's suffering. Casualty numbers that were off the charts. Your commander's constant visits to the infirmary. And never joining the conversation when everyone's talking about their Jedi generals. It was so obvious and I chose to do nothing."

Kal looked at Sinker and Boost. The two clones also had regret in their eyes. But before they could roll out an apology, Kal changed the topic.

"Sinker and Boost told me that General Korentayer asked you to look out for my commander. Is that true?" Kal questioned.

Wolffe nodded genuinely. "It's true. Don't worry too much, sergeant. He's—"

"—Wait." Kal stopped him abruptly. "Don't tell it to just me. The rest deserves to know too. Come."

Kal led the Wolfpack troopers to where most of his legion men were: the recovery room. Inside, Wolffe took a good look at the faces of the clones serving General Krell.

They looked so done. Like they had no purpose left in their lives.

"Everyone listen up! Commander Wolffe has some things to say," Kal announced.

All eyes were on Wolffe. He began to explain.

"Ahem. I'm not sure how many of you already know but I'll say it anyways. Your commander has been forced to sleep in the freezer every night. As punishment from your general."

The room filled with talk of shock and disgust. Clones who already knew of the punishment shook their heads. While those who just found out were outraged.

"The commander has been what?"

"How long has this been going on for?"

"That General Krell! He's just—ugh! He's gone too far!"

"I've just about had it with him!"

They all looked like they were ready to pop a couple of droid heads off. Or worse.

Wolffe calms everyone down with news of Steele's predicament. "Your commander's doing fine. I've been regularly checking on him by request of General Korentayer. So please, don't risk getting yourselves in trouble and come to me if you want updates."

"Will General Korentayer be returning anytime soon?" One of the troopers asked.

That was something Wolffe wasn't sure of. "I haven't heard anything about that yet. But don't worry too much. Your commander's sleep conditions have improved a bit with her leaving."

Kal still felt a bit guilty about that. But he knew if he didn't bring General Korentayer to his commander, things would've gotten worse for him.

Still though. "Commander Steele's conditions may have improved a bit but he can't keep this up forever," Kal stated truthfully.

Wolffe looked at him. "General Korentayer will not abandon him. Nor the rest of you. Trust me on this."

~ O O O ~

A couple of questions and answers later, Wolffe left the room with Boost and Sinker. They walked down to a quieter area of the building.

There, Wolffe contacted Aliyah via his hologram comm. A small blue holographic image of her appeared on the disc.

"Commander Wolffe, Sergeant Sinker, and Boost. How are you all?" She asked.

"We're healing," Boost said. It was the most accurate thing he could think of.

"I see. I'm glad you guys and my Master made it alive."

"We owe our lives to Commander Tano and General Skywalker," Sinker added.

Aliyah agreed. "I know. And I'm forever grateful to them. Now, onto business."

Wolffe knew what she was talking about. "Commander Steele is fine, for now. The 304th has yet to be deployed to Mustafar or any other missions. So it's all good here."

"Great!" Aliyah out her hands together. "Well, on my end. I've got the location secured and the support of Master Plo. With him on our side, this should be near foolproof."

"Then we should be good," Wolffe concluded.

"Mmhmm. Alright. That's it for today. Oh wait!" Aliyah quickly returned to the call. "Remind Steele to bring my cloak with him."

Wolffe remembered that Aliyah left her Jedi robe here. "Of course, general."

"Alright. _Now_ we're good."

~ O O O ~

Over the course of the week, everything remained constant. Clone divisions and their respective generals were assigned missions. Cadets were being trained and evaluated. And Steele's punishment was still going on.

"I hope you're pleased with yourself, CT-3484," Krell said to him one early evening.

Steele didn't know what he was talking about. "What? Sir?"

"I said, 'I hope you're pleased with yourself.'" Krell enunciated every single syllable. "Being stood up for by a little girl. And to think you're my clone commander. Ugh."

"General, I wasn't the one who asked for help." Steele needed Krell to know he can't control his men or General Korentayer.

Without thinking, Steele added. "You brought this upon yourself."

Where did he get the courage to say that?

"What did you just say?" Krell walked up to Steele. His fist rolled up into a ball.

Before Krell could land in a hit, his wrist comm beeped. He sighed and left the freezer to answer the call.

Saved by the comm. Steele crawled into his comforter that was buried under a heap of blankets. All delivered to him by Wolffe.

Bless that commander and his ability to steal cold-resistant blankets without anyone noticing them being gone.

~ O O O ~

Compass and Vito were practicing their marksmanship in the training room. They wanted to get in some practice before curfew. Compass was currently working on his sniping skills.

_Pew!_

The blaster bolt from the sniper rifle hit the simulated Separatist leader right between the eyes. Vito applauded that perfect shot.

"Impressive, Compass. Most impressive."

Compass smirked and reloaded. "Now if only that was a certain Besalisk's head."

"You be careful with your words, even here." Vito warned.

"I'm pretty sure even Jedi can't hear through walls," Compass countered. "Though I wouldn't mind if General Korentayer had that ability."

Vito picked up a DC-15 blaster rifle and turned on a new simulation. A small squad of super battle droids formed. He talked to Compass in between shots.

"I miss the good general. She was the only one who could make Krell budge in how he treats the commander," Vito confessed.

"Yeah. Sergeant Kal still blames himself for getting her removed from here. Egad and I keep telling him that he made the right call, but…he's stubborn to a fault." Compass shook his head.

A couple of dodges, rolls, and shots later, Vito takes out the entire simulated droid squad. He breathes heavily after shooting the final droid down.

Curfew was coming up soon. The two clones began cleaning up the room. Vito asked Compass about how Steele looked like the moment they discovered him in the freezer.

"The commander was…how do I put it? Let's just say I've never seen him in a sorrier state."

Vito lowered his eyes as they started walking towards the exit. "I wish I went with you. And Egad and the sergeant. I wonder how he's now."

Compass put an arm around Vito. "Well, if you must know how he is. Ask Commander Wolffe."

"He's close with the good general, right?"

"That's right. His general was once her Jedi Master."

"Then let's hope he's doing more than just looking out for Commander Steele."

~ O O O ~

Steele was sleeping very soundly tonight. The extra cold-resistant blankets Wolffe got him were amazing.

Not to mention the delicious stew Wolffe snuck out of the mess hall, warmed him to his bones. For the first time ever, Steele didn't think of the freezer as a prison cell.

He may actually get good dreams tonight.

He thought that too soon. Before an hour into curfew, Steele was awoke by the sound of the freezer door opening. He groggily opened his eyes and saw some unfamiliar figures walking in.

Steele quickly rolled out of his sleeping bagl. And in one fluid move, picked up his goggles and blaster pistol. He pointed it at the blurry blobs coming in from the door.

"Easy there, Commander Steele!" A familiar voice whisper-shouted. "It's me, Wolffe."

"Wolffe…?" Steele lowered his pistol.

Wolffe slowly inched closer to Steele. "Are you awake?"

"...I am now…" Steele yawned.

With his goggles on, he could Sinker and Boost standing behind Wolffe. They were keeping a lookout from the door. All three troopers were wearing large army cloaks.

"Commander Wolffe, we have 10 minutes and counting," Sinker reminded.

Wolffe nodded in understanding. He helped Steele up and commanded him to put on his armour and take his pistols. Without question, Steele got dressed in record time.

As soon as he put on his helmet, Wolffe picked up and handed him Aliyah's cloak. "Wear this, commander. Orders from General Korentayer."

"Uh…ok."

Steele put on the Jedi cloak. It felt rougher than he thought. And with the hood on, he could barely see a thing. How do the other Jedi move around with ease while wearing this?

"Hey, you look like a Jedi general now!" Boost complimented.

"You do indeed," Wolffe agreed. "Now come on. We need to go."

~ O O O ~

The three Wolfpack troopers and Steele left the freezer, making sure to close the door behind. They quietly ran down the halls and took a turn into the less-common corridors of the building.

The red lights of the halls barely illuminated their path. Which made navigating through this maze of twists and turns even more difficult. But the Wolfpack made it look easy.

"The hangar should be just ahead," Boost announced. "We're close."

"Can someone explain to me what's going on?" Steele finally asked since leaving the freezer. "Am I being kidnapped?"

"No. We're staging a rescue mission. That's what's going on." Wolffe explained as they ran.

Sinker reached a door and typed in a passcode. The light above the keypad turned green and the door opened. Revealing the hangar.

There was a single starship on the small open platform. They all rushed out into the rain towards it.

"I'm guessing it's _my_ rescue mission?" Steele asked.

Boost turned around. "Who else could it be, commander?"

The four clones boarded the starship. They removed their helmets and cloaks upon entering.

As soon they were seated and the ramp was closed, Sinker and Boost activated the engine.

"Everyone ready?" Boost asked.

"Yep. Let's go." Wolffe answered.

"Taking off now. Buckle in," Sinker advised as he pulled back the driving lever.

The starship took off into the dark Kaminoan sky until they reached space. The quietness of the ship made it feel peaceful.

Steele still felt like this whole ordeal was unreal though.

"May I ask where we're going?"

"A safe place."

Steele turned around to see General Korentayer standing behind him. She came out of the ship's resting room.

"Good to see you're still alive, commander," Aliyah smiled.

She stepped forward and sat in the extra passenger seat next to Steele. He was shocked.

"General…I didn't expect you to be here…wait. Did you make them do this?" Steele gestured to the Wolfpack.

Wolffe quickly jumped in. "We all agreed to it, commander. No one's here against their will."

"That's right," Aliyah confirmed. "This is for your own good. I'll explain it all later, promise. But for now, I believe you have something of mine."

Right! Steele quickly took the slightly damp Jedi cloak off his seat and handed it to Aliyah. She accepted it with gratitude and relief.

Steele was still adamant on knowing where they were going. "General, may I ask again, specifically, where we're going?"

"Coruscant. The Jedi Temple, to be even more specific."

~ O O O ~

Not too long after, the company of five landed on Coruscant. In the Jedi Temple hangar. They left the ship and Aliyah led the way.

"Follow me," she gently commanded.

The building was quiet for the most part. Occasionally, a Jedi would pass by, making them hide until he/she went away.

Wolffe was surprised at that. "They can't sense us? I thought your abilities allowed that."

"First of all, we're not threats. it's easier to sense someone dangerous," Aliyah explained. "Second of all, that ability is not omnipotent. It requires some degree of concentration combined with situational circumstances."

The clones nodded in slight understanding. These Jedi powers are interesting but confusing at the same time. They kept walking down the halls.

Steele took his time to admire the large majestic interior of the Temple. It was beautiful yet intimidating at the same time. Sinker was sharing his sentiments.

"So this is where the Jedi live and train, huh? It's incredible." Sinker complimented.

"More training than living to be honest," Aliyah confessed. "Especially in these times."

They walked up a couple of flights of stairs and down more halls. Steele suddenly felt a cold breeze. And his thoughts returned to his general.

"So all the Jedi live here?" Steele asked.

Aliyah nodded. "Yeah."

"...including General Krell?"

They all stopped in their tracks. Aliyah turned around and walked up to a shaking Steele. She gave him a warm smile.

"Don't worry about him. Come."

She grabbed Steele by the arm and continued walking. Wolffe, Sinker, and Boost followed close behind.

Soon, they reached a single large door. Aliyah pressed the little button next to it. The door opened and standing in front of them was Jedi Master Plo Koon.

"'Liyah?" He asked in a tone that made it sound like he was expecting them.

The young Jedi Knight nodded in response. She pulled Steele forward with her. A look of determination was on her face.

"I will not 'mind my own business' any longer, Master."

Plo raised a hand and put it on Steele's shoulder. The clone commander was surprised at how gentle the Jedi's touch was.

"Well done, my former Padawan."

Aliyah beamed then took a quick look around. "I should leave now, Master. We need to return the ship."

Plo agreed. "Of course. Stay safe and take care, everyone."

"You as well, general," Wolffe reminded before leaving with Aliyah and his two troopers.

Steele was ushered into the Jedi's room as soon as his rescuers ran off. Plo helped him to a seat.

"Rest easy, Commander Steele. You're safe, your general isn't here."

_**Next time on The Clone's Hero, Krell finds out Steele is missing. Boy oh boy…** _


	8. Missing (Intro pt8)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We're nearing the halfway point of the story! Thanks for sticking with Steele and his men through this journey! Let's make it to the end!
> 
> Thanks for all the kudos, bookmarks, comments, and interest! You guys are the true heroes! *Sniff
> 
> Now on with the chapter!

**Missing**

_**First things first, remove the victim from the abuser** _

Krell arrived early this morning on Kamino. The Council just gave him an estimated date for when he and the 304th will be deployed to Mustafar again.

It'll be sometime next week at the earliest. He needed his clone commander to know about this news.

Walking across the Kamino headquarters, Krell reached the back warehouse area. He stopped in front of the freezer door and entered the passcode.

_Chime!_

The door unlocked. Krell opened it wide open.

"CT-3484, get up—"

He was stopped mid-sentence by the sight before him. The freezer was empty, save for a couple of unkempt blankets and comforters. But Commander Steele was not present.

Krell concentrated on using his Force sense to see if Steele was hiding nearby. But it was no use. No signs of anxiety or life forms anywhere.

Anger boiled inside Krell. He turned around and stomped out of the warehouse room. His destination: the one person who may know where his insolent commander is.

As he walked through the building, Krell harshly pushed aside any clone who was unlucky enough to be in his path.

"Ow!"

"Hey!"

"What's your problem?"

Krell ignored all of their comments. There was only one thing in his mind right now. And that's the whereabouts of Commander Steele.

~ O O O ~

Inside another room, Shaak Ti was talking to two clone captains. They wanted her opinion on a proposal about assigning rookies to a high-difficulty mission.

One of the captains, Near, believed it to be beneficial. "They can't stay shinies forever, general."

Before Shaak Ti could answer, the door opened.

"Where is my commander?!" Krell barged in.

Shaak Ti held up a hand to show that she's not available to listen to him. She was in the midst of a conversation with the two clone captains.

"Yes, Captain Near. I think it's fine to go forward with your proposal. Speak to your general about it. I'm sure he'll agree with you," Shaak Ti quickly wrapped up the conversation.

"Thank you, General Ti."

Captain Near and his fellow clone captain were glad to leave. They did not want to accidentally stir Krell's anger.

Shaak Ti turned to Krell. "You were asking?"

"My clone commander. Where. Is. He?"

"How am I supposed to know? There are thousands of clones here, I cannot keep track of all of them," she half-lied.

Krell's patience was becoming needle-thin. "You expect me to believe that, Master Ti? I know you keep an eye on my clone commander slightly more than the others! Now tell me his location!"

Shaak Ti's eyes narrowed. "Honestly? It's not a far-fetched guess that he escaped his confinement. Keep looking, Krell."

"So you're saying he's once again disobeyed me?"

"It may be for the best," Shaak Ti stated honestly. "Your punishment would've been the death of him. Even if I know where he is, I wouldn't tell you."

"How dare you!"

"Calm yourself, Krell." The Togruta Jedi snapped. "Figure this out on your own, because there's nothing I can do to help you."

She walked towards the exit, passing Krell on the way out. He didn't hesitate to throw in an insult.

"Is that how you got a seat on the High Council? By doing nothing?"

Shaak Ti immediately seized the sleeve of Krell's robes. There was a hidden but burning anger in her grip.

"I've let your treatment towards the 304th slide time and time again. Because the Council and the Senate only saw your success rate. So for their sake, I didn't press the issue too much. Talk to me like that again, and it'll be the last time you'll speak to me as a Jedi."

Krell fell silent. Shaak Ti slowly let go of his sleeve and walked out the door. Feeling a lot more satisfied with this time's confrontation.

~ O O O ~

Plo woke up to find Steele still sound asleep in the spare bed he prepared for last night. He walked up to the sleeping clone and pulled his covers a bit. Some of it was exposing his body.

Now that he's able to see Steele in brighter light, he could see all the signs of abuse on him. Bruises and cuts painted the clone's face with uneven purple splotches.

"Sigh…has the war already changed the Jedi this much?" Plo thought about Krell.

 _Ring!_ His doorbell sounded. It was Aliyah. He knew that for a fact.

Plo got up to open the door for her. Sure enough, Aliyah was on the other side. Her hair and eyes showed that she barely slept last night.

"Morning, Master."

"You too, 'Liyah."

He let Aliyah enter his chamber. She immediately went up to the sleeping Steele and knelt down to see how he is.

She resisted the urge to wake him up. "Master…no one else came last night, right?"

Plo shook his head. "No. Don't worry too much. As long as you keep a level mind, no one should suspect."

"Even Krell?" Aliyah was dead serious.

"You said so yourself, 'Liyah. This is the last place Krell would expect his commander to be. Remember, you're guiding me this time. Not the other way around," Plo placed a comforting hand on her back. "Trust in yourself. And in the Force."

The young Jedi stood up and straightened her oversized blue tunic. Plo checked the time and realized he should be out by now.

"Stay here with the commander, 'Liyah. I'll be back if I don't get deployed somewhere last minute."

"See you later, Master."

~ O O O ~

Plo Koon was notified of an emergency Council meeting the moment he stepped out.

Obi-Wan told him of that. "Apparently, we may have a clone who's gone AWOL. From what I heard, it's Pong Krell's commander."

Plo kept a clear head. "When did you hear this?"

"Just this morning. Krell contacted some of the Council about his missing commander and the Council called in the rest of us. Come now, we mustn't be late."

In the tower of the Jedi High Council, the meeting commenced. All the members sat in their designated chairs. They surrounded a hologram of Krell.

Yoda spoke first. "Explain your situation at hand, Krell."

"Yes, Master Yoda. Just this morning when I arrived on Kamino, I discovered CT-3484, my clone commander, to be missing. I've already ordered an entire sweep of Tipoca City but so far, he has not been found."

A brief discussion took place amongst the Masters. Then Ki-Adi-Mundi said his thoughts.

"Do you believe he ran off on his own accord or was forcibly taken away?"

"I don't know," Krell answered. "But one thing's for sure. His absence will cause a lot of trouble for my legion."

Behind Krell, sat the hologram of Shaak Ti. She was looking at him with disapproving eyes. Patiently waiting for the right time to say her piece.

Kit Fisto added his own thoughts on the matter. "His absence will cause a lot of trouble for _all of us_ if he's fallen into Separatist hands."

"I agree," Eeth Koth said. "He's a senior commander isn't he? Then he'd have a lot of knowledge on Republic battle strategies, important base locations, and more."

"That would be a huge information leak," Saesee Tin added.

The room filled with discussion once again. Yoda quieted everyone down. "First, address the cause of this clone's disappearance, we should."

"His name is Steele," Shaak Ti finally spoke. She was tired of everyone calling Steele 'commander' or 'clone'. "And I don't think he's fallen into Separatist hands."

Krell turned around. His jaw was clenched tightly. Shaak Ti noticed that and felt that this is the best time to speak up.

"Masters, you all remember when I presented the 304th's complaints about Krell as their general?"

Everyone nodded. Shaak Ti continued explaining. "Well, the truth is. Krell's been forcing Commander Steele to sleep in the freezer every night. As punishment for defying an order he won't even tell me. And don't even get me started on the countless other injustices he's done to his clones."

"I don't see how that has anything to do with this!" Krell raised his voice above all the gasps and murmurs from the Council members.

"I beg to differ," Ki-Adi-Mundi disagreed. "This shines new light on Commander Steele's disappearance."

Obi-Wan nodded. "Yes. That is a harsh punishment to say the least. I can only imagine what kind of order he defied to receive this. But no matter. It seems pretty clear that your commander escaped. Escaped from you, more specifically."

Krell eyed Obi-Wan. "Are you trying to pin the blame on me? Everything I've done, I did it for the Republic! For the possibility that we may end this war earlier!"

The Council was silent. Krell's actions against his commander and the 304th are very unbecoming of a Jedi. But this is a war. And so far, Krell's men hold one of the highest success rates on the battlefield.

Finally, Yoda broke the silence. "Get us nowhere, arguing will. Krell, find your lost commander, we shall. And once, he is. Address the way you treat your clones, we will."

Krell couldn't argue with that answer. He looked at the Council one last time. His eyes fell on Plo Koon.

"Master Koon, I'm sure you know of your former Padawan's involvement with my commander."

"Yes. Master Ti told me everything. Though I can't say she was fully unjustified in her actions." Plo was careful in keeping his voice and head neutral.

Krell held back a scoff. He diverted his attention to Yoda again. "What of the Mustafar hacking base mission?"

Mace Windu answered. "Worry about that later. Your legion will receive smaller scale missions in the meantime. If your commander isn't found by the time we need to get the hacking base destroyed. We'll send in another division."

"Then find him. And find him fast," Krell seethed. "Otherwise my men will start to think it's alright losing a battle."

Krell ended the call after that.

~ O O O ~

The clones of the 304th all gathered together in the briefing room. On orders of General Krell. Everyone was talking about their missing commander.

"Have you heard about the commander?"

"Yeah, didn't you see the entire building being sweeped just to look for him? It's crazy!"

"Don't tell the higher ups this, but I'm kinda relieved he's gone. At least now, he's far away from the general."

"Well, I'm not! He may be out of the freezer but we have no idea where he is! For all we know he could be a war prisoner somewhere! Being tortured for confidential Republic info—"

Everyone suddenly stopped talking. Their Jedi general has entered the room.

Krell looked at each and every clone who made dared to make eye contact with him. Some of them averted their gaze, others gave him burning glares.

"Listen and listen well, everyone. Because I won't be repeating myself. Your commander is currently missing. And I suspect one of you knows more than you're letting on. Question is, who is it?" Krell's voice turned menacingly low.

Compass stepped forward with crossed arms. "None of us have anything to do with the commander's disappearance _, sir._ " Purposely saying 'sir' in a mocking manner.

For a second, Krell only looked at Compass. Then he punched him right in the gut.

"Compass!" Several clones rushed to his aid.

The punched clone trooper doubled over in pain and fell to his knees. He gagged loudly as his comrades surrounded him.

"Want to try speaking to me like that again? General Korentayer isn't here to save you now," Krell threatened.

"Kriff you!" One of the clones on the other side of the room shouted without thinking.

"Oh you're just asking for it, aren't you?" Krell made his way to the clone who said that. But was suddenly stopped by Kal.

The blue-haired clone sergeant felt his heart beating out of his chest. He removed his hand from Krell's arm and spoke.

"General, with all due respect. We are telling the truth. We're in the dark as much as you about our commander's whereabouts."

Kal held his breath when the general turned his attention fully to him. "I swear it."

"Oh? Then swear on your position as sergeant of the 304th," Krell challenged,

Looking around the room, Kal could see his clone brothers all worried for him. But Kal wouldn't back down. With the good general and their commander gone, someone needed to step up to protect the rest of them from Krell's wrath.

"I swear it, General Krell. On my position as sergeant of the 304th."

"Congratulations you just lost your position, CT-7701," Krell announced.

Egad and several others got up to charge at their General in anger. But Krell wasn't done talking yet.

"And earned a new one. From now on, you're the substitute senior commander. Until CT-3484 is found again."

The room exploded with talk of confusion. Everyone was shocked, none more shocked than Kal himself.

"W—what, general?" Kal found his voice again. "Shouldn't Captain Cleaver be the one to get that?"

Captain Cleaver was one the captains in the 304th. But had the longest time spent serving Krell. Why didn't the general pick him?

Krell was not pleased with the question. "Are you defying my order, CT-7701?"

"I'm just curious as to why—"

"The why is because you seem so eager to take charge and make large decisions!" Krell thundered. "Remember the charging station mission back on Utapau? It was your idea. And leading General Korentayer to the commander? Also yours. Might as well give you authority to make those kinds of decisions!"

The general addressed all the clones of the 304th. "You're all to call him 'commander' now! We've still got a war to fight. With, or without your former commander! Dismissed."

Krell left the room first. The clones gathered together in unison. They knew things were going to be different now. But no matter, they had hope.

Hope that their commander is alive and well. And will one day return.

~ O O O ~

Steele wakes up to the sound of soft snoring. Flopped inelegantly in a chair against the wall, was General Korentayer. Fast asleep.

The snoring was coming from her.

Steele carefully got out of bed. He went up to Aliyah and readjusted her head so her neck wouldn't feel sore when she wakes up.

She barely moved when he did that. _Did she sleep at all last night?_ He thought. _Wait, what happened last night?_

The events of how he ended here, in the Jedi Temple were a blur to him. He recalled Commander Wolffe, Sergeant Sinker, and Boost taking him out of the freezer.

And bringing him to a ship where they met Aliyah. Then he was brought here…to Aliyah's former Master's chamber. Plo Koon's chamber.

"So that's what happened…" Steele mumbled to himself.

He looked around the room to take in his surroundings. Then his gaze fell back on the sleeping Jedi. For the first time since they met, Steele got a better look at Aliyah.

He realized that compared to most Jedi, Aliyah dresses quite plainly. And yet, manages to remain aesthetically pleasing to the common eye.

She doesn't have the classical beauty of Senator Amidala. Or the luscious figure of General Secura. Or even the regality of General Ti. But she definitely has the potential of all three.

Perhaps give her a few more years and she'll bloom into something breathtaking.

The door opened and Jedi Master, Plo Koon entered. "Commander Steele, you're awake."

Steele nodded. "Can we talk elsewhere, general? Let's not wake—"

"...Master? You're back already…?" Aliyah stirred in the chair, yawning.

"Never mind," Steele shrugged.

Plo walked up to them. He handed Steele a large box. "Just a couple of nourishments and refreshments. It's not much, but it'll get you through the day."

"Thank you, General Plo." Steele accepted the box. "So I'm guessing my disappearance is already public knowledge?"

"All of Kamino knows, and so does the Council. We're conducting a search for you right now," Plo explained.

"And General Krell…?"

"Sigh. Well, he's furious to say the least. Especially after Shaak Ti brought up the fact he's been forcing you to sleep in the freezer. And hinted that he's mistreating your men. But they're still going to be given assignment—"

"—General Krell's going to take it out them!" Steele interrupted. "You don't know him like I do! Please, I need to return. My men need me."

Aliyah got out of the chair. "Calm down, commander. I've got a plan—"

"—separating me from my general puts my men in danger!"

"That was only the first step," Aliyah explained. "And your men aren't in danger. General Krell may be the head of your legion, but honestly, you're the true leader of the 304th. Without you, I doubt you guys would've held that high of a success rate."

"She's right, Steele," Plo added. "Your men will only be receiving small-scale missions until you're found. But before you are, we'll have fixed this problem."

"Then please, fix it fast," Steele held his forehead in frustration. "For the sake of my men."

"I will." Aliyah promised. "Just please. Stay here and trust me."

~ O O O ~

Plo and Aliyah soon left Steele in the room by himself. They headed towards the place where they planned a meeting with Shaak Ti. She too, was in on the plan.

The minute they entered, they turned on the holotransmitter. Shaak Ti's holographic body appeared before them.

"Master Koon, Young Korentayer," she addressed. "How's Steele? Is he well?"

"He's worried about his men," Aliyah said. "Try to make sure Krell isn't hurting them too much. I wish I could be there myself. But…"

Shaak Ti understood. "I will do what I can. Krell doesn't have any excuses now that you're absent."

"In the meantime, we should get started with our proposal," Plo quickly stated. "We need to present it to the Council as soon as possible."

"I will talk to Lama Su and see if I can get some support from him" Shaak Ti promised.

"Good. Aliyah and I have easy access to the Senate here. Perhaps some influence from them will cause the Council to look more into this issue."

A small smirk formed on Aliyah's face. "Krell's days as general of the 304th are numbered now."

_**Next time on The Clone's Hero, the 304th are sent on their first mission without Steele. And Kal realizes truly how brutal life as Krell's commander is. On the bright side, the entire legion learns that Steele's safe and it's only a matter of time before they're rid of Krell for good…** _


	9. The Substitute Commander (Intro pt9)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the kudos and comments! They mean a lot to me :)
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**The Substitute Commander**

_**It's one thing feeling sympathy for someone. It's another going through exactly what they went through.** _

"Push them back! Push. Them. Back!" Kal commanded.

The clones all began shooting harder than ever. Blaster bolts were coming out so fast that it looked like a horizontal rain of blue lines.

"Eat this, clankers!"

"We almost have the path!"

"Should we tell General Krell to call in General Secura?"

Kal shouted back at the trooper who asked that. "Not yet! We need a guaranteed takeover!"

From the back of the battlefield. Krell watched with scrutiny. Judging every action, decision, and mistake made by Substitute Commander Kal. And comparing his performance to that of Steele.

This mission they're on has them aiding Jedi General Aayla Secura and the 324th Star Corps. Their job was to secure the main path so Aayla and her troops may use it as a trench base.

Krell checked the time on his disc. He contacted Kal. "CT-7701, you're 10 minutes overdue! Finish this already!"

"Yes— _shoots a droid—_ sir— _shoots another droid—_ I'll do that!" Kal barely missed a blaster bolt from two super battle droids. His heart nearly skipped a beat.

 _How in the galaxy did Steele manage to survive so long as commander?_ Kal's respect for his predecessor just rose exponentially.

Seeing that their new commander is having a hard time staying in the front, Compass and Egad encouraged even more firepower.

"Commander, we've got you covered!" Compass shouted.

Kal nodded in thanks. He quickly dashed across the enemy lines. The cover provided by his men was extremely effective. In a couple of seconds, Kal reached the droid in command. He held him at blaster point.

"We surrender! We surrender!" The droid cried.

"Order your clankers to cease fire!" Kal pressed the barrel harder against the droid's temple.

The droid commander did as told. And both sides stopped shooting at each other. The path was secured.

~ O O O ~

"Thank you for your help, General Krell," Aayla appreciated. She and her men have arrived by now.

"We'll take over from here." Aayla's right-hand man, Commander Bly added. "Oh and, best of luck in finding your missing commander."

Krell nodded. "I'm going to need it. If he was here today, then we would've gotten this done a lot earlier." He looked at Kal who stood next to him.

"I did what I could with the battleplan you gave me," Kal said honestly.

"Did you now?"

Aayla sensed growing tension. "What matters is that we got the path. I'm sure Commander Kal will improve with time. Don't be so hard on him, Krell."

She and Commander Bly left to plan the rest of their mission. The 304th on the other hand were tidying everything up. They needed to make sure they weren't forgetting anything before boarding the fleet.

When Krell thought no one else was looking, he picked up Kal by the throat and shoved him against a large boulder.

"Don't you dare speak to me like that again, CT-7701!" Krell seethed. "If you've learned anything from your predecessor, then you'd know it doesn't end well if you attempt to talk back!"

Krell let go of Kal and walked towards the fleet. Leaving Kal on the ground, gasping for air. Unbeknownst to Krell, several clones saw what happened and rushed to Kal. They helped him to his feet.

Kal glared at where his general was. "The only thing I've learned from my predecessor is that you're a load of dwang."

"You can say that again." A familiar female voice said from behind a large pile of rocks.

Aliyah stepped out of her hiding spot. All the clones felt their jaw drop to the ground.

"General Korentayer!"

"Shhh!" She brought a finger to her lips. "I can't stay long. So listen carefully. Commander Steele is alright."

Everyone lets out a collective sigh of relief. Compass tried to press for more info. "Where is he exactly?"

"It's better if you guys didn't know. Can't have Krell sensing anxiety from one of you and figuring out where he is," Aliyah explained. She handed out a thin folded sheet of paper. "Here. From Steele."

Kal quickly took the paper from Aliyah's fingers and unfolded it. "It's the commander's handwriting…"

Everyone surrounded him to read the contents.

_Hey boys,_

_Please know that I'm perfectly alright. I can't tell you where I'm at for your safety. Just know that I'm fine and I'll be coming back soon. Trust in General Korentayer, she's done a lot for us—me most of all. I know it'll be hard but try to remain in line. And try not to get on General Krell's bad side. Stay alive, my brothers. Please._

_Your commander, CT-3484 AKA "Steele"_

Egad never felt so relieved and frustrated at the same time. Tears started to form in his eyes. He turned for a second to collect himself. Then spoke.

"So he's safe. That's all we need to know." Egad looked directly at Aliyah. "Thank you, General Korentayer."

"Don't thank me yet." Aliyah took a long look at the clones before her. "I'm sorry I can't be here for the rest of you. This will all be over soon. I promise. And your commander will return to you."

She took a quick look around. "I need to go now."

"General!" Vito whisper-shouted after her. "Tell the commander to trust in us. He…he deserves a break from fighting. Tell him to not worry too much."

Aliyah smiled. "I will."

The 304th clones waved her goodbye as she disappeared into the rocks again.

~ O O O ~

Steele was growing anxious. He heard about his legion getting deployed this morning. It was their first mission without him. And he was scared shitless.

"Damnit…" He squeezed his fists out of nervousness.

Just then, the door opened. Aliyah came in. Steele rushed up to her. "My men, how are they?"

"They're glad you're safe. They really care for you, Steele. And Vito even told me to tell you, to not worry too much about them."

Steele pushed back strands of his crimson hair. He sat down on a cushion. "That's impossible. They're going through exactly the kind of hell I tried to prevent them from going through."

"Is that why you kept tolerating Krell's treatment towards you?" Aliyah raised a brow. She sat on a cushion in front of him.

Steele looked at her incredulously. "I tolerate his treatment because that's what I was bred for."

"You weren't bred to Krell's punching bag."

"I was bred to follow orders and fight—if necessary, _die_ —for the Republic. It's my responsibility to follow my general! No matter what." Steele insisted. "But I also have a responsibility to protect those under my command. And right now…I'm failing at both."

Aliyah looked down at the floor. Neither person spoke to each other. After two minutes of awkward silence, Aliyah stood up to leave.

"You can't do either if you're dead, commander. Let that sink in."

She left the chamber. Leaving Steele to ponder on what she just said.

~ O O O ~

Later that day, Aliyah joined Plo in visiting a couple of senators. Outside in the streets of Coruscant, 'missing clone' billboards and police droids were everywhere.

"Have you seen this clone? He can be identified with code CT-3484."

"If found please contact either the head of authorities or Jedi High Council."

Yep, Steele's disappearance was all over the place. Aliyah did her best to keep her head cool. But Plo still managed to sense a bit of her uneasiness.

"What's wrong, 'Liyah?" He asked as they walked up to the Senate building.

"I'm sorry, Master. I know you told me to keep a level head but…I'm so torn."

They entered the building's front entrance. Inside, politicians and their bodyguards were walking about. Aliyah kept talking, but in a lower voice.

"What I'm doing right now, is for Steele's own safety. And yet I feel like I'm hurting him more than helping him. We need to rid Krell as soon as we can."

"Perhaps today's meeting with the senators will grant you that wish," Plo said as they walked up to a large door.

The door automatically opened, revealing the group of senators inside. Senator Amidala was the first to greet them.

"Master Plo Koon, Knight Aliyah Korentayer. It's good to see you," she politely welcomed.

"You too, milady," Aliyah returned.

The two Jedi joined the politicians in the centre of the room. Amongst them were Senators Bail Organa, Mon Mothma, Onaconda Farr, Riyo Chuchi, and a couple of others whom Aliyah didn't recognize.

"Let's get straight to business," Plo said as they all sat down. "We believe that the missing clone, CT-3484, is being badly mistreated by Jedi General Pong Krell. And he's not the only victim. All the clones in the 304th legion suffer under his command."

Senator Amidala scrunched her eyebrows. "That's awful. I didn't know Jedi are capable of doing that."

"Unfortunately, I'm afraid the war is bringing out the worst in us," Plo admitted sadly.

"But not all of us," Aliyah put her foot down. "Senators, we've come to you for help. The men of the 304th can't go through this war any longer with Krell as their general. We need your help to remove him."

All the senators began talking with each other. Some of them agreed with Aliyah. But some were unsure.

Senator Organa took the floor. "Even if we make a statement about this issue, it's ultimately the decision of the Jedi Council to remove Krell from the 304th."

"Perhaps, what General Korentayer is asking. Is that she wants us to influence the Council in their decision," Senator Amidala suggested.

"I don't disagree with what you're saying about the 304th clones," Senator Farr added. "But I'm afraid not all of the Senate will be as sympathetic as we are."

Plo brought out a tablet under his robe. "Perhaps this will 'open up their hearts'."

Senator Organa picked up the tablet while everyone else surrounded him. They looked at the numbers displayed on it. And were utterly shocked.

"My stars…that's a lot of credits…" Senator Chuchi gasped.

"'A lot?'" Senator Mothma nervously laughed. "That's putting it nicely."

"That's the amount that goes into replenishing Krell's legion after every mission," Aliyah explained. "It's easy to get blinded by the unreal success rate of the 304th, and ignore their equally unreal casualty numbers."

As much as the senators hated to admit. If there was one thing that can make even the most stubborn politician listen. It's money.

Senator Organa returned the tablet to Plo. "Thank you, General Koon. We can definitely make a strong case with this."

~ O O O ~

Kal was having the worst day of his life. From the moment they returned to Kamino, Krell was hot on his back.

Every report. Every battle plan meeting. Every weapons and armour checking. Krell would berate him for whatever's less than satisfactory.

"CT-7701, this report is garbage! Write it again!"

"Are you even listening to me? I told you the point of the mission is to retrieve supplies. Why are you suggesting that we practice damage control on the villages nearby?"

"What do you mean one of your men left their blaster on the fleet? Do you have any idea how expensive those things cost for the army?"

Kal left the mess hall early after dinner. The reason for that is because he wanted the halls to himself.

He leaned against the pristine white wall and slid down to the ground. Exhausted from today.

"I can't do this…I can't do this anymore…" Kal closed his eyes and tried to imagine a peaceful reality. One where the war never existed.

His dream was interrupted by Commander Wolffe. "Sergeant Kal? Are you ok?"

Kal opened his eyes to see Wolfe kneeling before him. "Just tired. And it's 'commander' now, by the way."

"Really? You got promoted that many ranks up?"

"No, it's more like…a temporary thing. Until Steele returns." Kal shook his head. "But still, it's not easy. I just keep wondering. How does Steele do it? What would he do in my situation?"

"But you're not Steele," Wolfe said obviously.

Kal gaped at him. "Well duh."

"So don't command like him."

That got Kal wondering.

"Good luck." Wolfe stood up and walked away.

~ O O O ~

Shaak Ti was finishing a discussion with Lama Su. The Kaminoan president was surprisingly showing a lot of interest in the 304th clones.

"We did not breed them to be treated like this." Lama Su sipped his drink. "But General Ti, if I may ask. Have these clones ever…done anything against their general?"

Shaak Ti didn't know what Lama Su was trying to get at. "If you mean defending themselves from his wrath, then yes."

"What I mean is, have they tried to physically harm Krell? Like have they tried anything that might've endangered him? Because from what you've told me, it wouldn't be surprising if they did."

Shaak Ti recalled the day of the failed Mustafar mission. According to the 304th clones, Egad attempted to shoot Krell who was badly beating Steele.

"There _was_ this one time when a 304th clone raised his blaster at Krell," Shaak Ti mentioned. "But mind you, Krell drew his lightsaber and attempted to kill his commander that day too. If it wasn't for the interference of General Korentayer."

Lama Su clasped his hands together. His eyes made him appear deep in thought. Finally he came to a conclusion.

"Then I wholeheartedly support you in your proposal to remove Krell from the 304th," he answered.

"Thank you," Shaak Ti bowed her head in respect. She got up to leave.

Lama Su locked the door after she's gone. Then darkened the room. He pressed the holotransmitter on the centre table and patiently waited.

The hologram of a dark cloaked figure appeared. Lama Su tried his best to not be intimidated by him.

"My Lord, the legion that the missing clone, CT-3484, belongs to, has been greatly mistreated. So much so that one of the clones attempted to take the life of their abusive Jedi general."

The cloaked figure, Darth Sidious, aaked. "Will they prove to be a problem in my plans?"

"Not if Krell is removed as their general," Lama Su said. "Please don't worry. Their inhibitor chips are still holding despite all this. We designed it so it wouldn't malfunction in such circumstances."

"Good. Good. But if things do make a turn for the worse, you may have to stage…an accident for the 304th."

Lama Su looked concerned. "But my Lord, it's already very challenging to produce clones after the death of Jango Fett. Must we throw away—"

"—you will do what it takes!" Darth Sidious pointed a long bony finger at him. "To prevent one of them from accidentally triggering Order 66!"

~ O O O ~

Curfew came and all the clones retired to their barracks. Right when Kal was about to enter his barracks, he was grabbed by Krell.

"Where do you think you're going, CT-7701?" He asked.

"Uh, to sleep?"

Compass saw what was going on and jumped off his sleeping pod. He marched right up to them.

"Oh no no no! You are _not_ making him sleep in the freezer like you did with Commander Steele!" He wagged his finger at Krell.

"That's not for you to decide, CT-2281." Krell said.

"Let go of the commander, general," Egad backed up his friend. "Now."

Krell looked at the clones inside the barracks. They had a different look about them this time. Like they weren't afraid of him.

Captain Cleaver stepped forward. "We lost one commander. We're not about to lose another one."

Krell's grip on Kal tightened. "Come on!" He pulled him out of the room.

"Hey!"

All the clones rushed out and tried to pull Kal back. Some tugged at Kal's body while others pulled at their general.

Before things got too heated, Shaak Ti rushed into the scene.

"What's going on here?" She forcibly separated Krell and Kal from the rest of the clones. "Krell, let go of your new commander. Do you want a repeat of what happened with Steele?"

"He isn't him." Krell pressed.

"That's right. I'm not."

Kal did a quick chop on Krell's wrist. Allowing him to free himself from his grip. He joined his brothers behind the Togruta Jedi.

Shaak Ti stopped Krell from going after him. "Enough."

Krell shook his wrist from the pain. He turned around to leave. "Fine."

As soon as he was gone, Shaak Ti escorted everyone back to their barracks. Kal would not be sleeping in the freezer tonight.

"Thanks guys," Kal hugged his brothers.

"We need to look out for each other." Vito hugged him back.

"Gotten save lives when we can. Wouldn't want the old commander to think it's his fault when he returns." Egad added.

Everyone nodded in agreement. Then realized the time and quickly went to their respective sleeping pods.

As the pods closed up, they all thought of the same thing.

_"Goodnight Commander Steele."_

In the Jedi Temple. Steele stared out the window of Plo Koon's chamber. He still felt bad about raising his voice at Aliyah today. But hasn't been able to apologize yet.

He knows her efforts are to help and his legion. But that won't stop him from worrying about his men. Steele prepared to go to sleep.

_"Goodnight boys."_

_**Next time on The Clone's Hero, everyone is doing their part in removing Krell from the 304th. But Krell isn't making the wait easy…** _


	10. On the way to a solution (Intro pt10)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're nearing the end of this arc! If you guys have ideas later arcs of this story, please comment it below! Because I need to start planning ahead!
> 
> Thanks for your interest in this story! :)
> 
> Remember to leave kudos and/or comments if you enjoyed!

**On the way to a solution**

_**The final stretch is always the hardest.** _

"Have we become so blind in our pursuit of victory, that we forget the very people fighting to achieve that?" Senator Bail Organa addressed the Senate.

"Those clones were bred to fight and die for us," Senator Christo countered. "Why should it matter that their Jedi general berates them a little?"

"It matters because that same general uses them as though they are meat shields," Senator Padme Amidala joined.

That still didn't sway the majority of the senators, as expected. So Bail Organa decides to finally pull out the costs behind the 304th.

A large hologram image appeared before the Senate. It was the transaction bill Plo Koon showed the other day.

The senators stared at the numbers. Complaints and gasps filled the room. They didn't like what they saw one bit.

"If something isn't done about General Krell, we'll be deep in debt before the first year of the war's even passed!" Senator Organa insisted.

"If money is the problem, why not make an emergency bill to deregulate the banks?" Senator Burtoni suggested. "After all, my people will be more than happy to produce millions of clone troopers."

"The root of the problem is General Krell." Senator Mothma pressed.

Senator Organa nodded. "Exactly. Why go through the effort of drafting a proposal and the getting votes? When all we have to do is remove him as general of the 304th!"

"304th? Isn't that the legion the missing clone is from?" Senator Deechi questioned.

"Yes." Senator Organa answered. "And after I learned about the hardships he and his men were going through, I think I have an idea behind the cause of his disappearance."

"Are you suggesting he intentionally left the army?" Senator Merik retorted. "Then he should be found and executed as a deserter."

"That is if General Krell wasn't the one behind him being missing!" Senator Amidala shouted.

"I highly doubt he would go as far as to kill a clone!" Senator Burtoni argued. "Especially his clone commander."

The entire Senate erupted. Chancellor Palpatine quickly and swiftly took control of things.

"Members of the Senate!" Palpatine said in a booming voice. Everyone quieted down and paid attention to him.

"I hear both sides of the argument. But I must agree with Senator Organa. This is only one legion we've heard about. There's no need for a grand solution. Just _a_ solution. Before these clones are driven to commit mutiny against their Jedi general! After all, that is the last thing we want during a war."

From the sidelines of the Senate room. Aliyah and Plo stood by, watching the entire discussion take place. And they were pleased with the outcome.

Aliyah turned to Plo and shrugged happily. "Looks like we're on the way to a solution."

Plo nodded. "Yes. We should present to the Council soon."

~ O O O ~

The 304th were sent to Ryloth to exterminate leftover droids that survived battles with the Twi'lek Resistance. They were also careful not to interact with the members of the Resistance while here.

"That ungrateful Cham Syndulla." Krell muttered when the 304th prepared to make camp for the night. "General Di and his clones laid down their lives for his people. And _this_ is how they repay us?"

Kal—surprisingly—somewhat agreed with his general. "I do think they should allow us to assist them. After all, we're both fighting the Separatists. But considering their experiences with the Republic, I understand why they don't want to."

"I don't remember asking for your opinion, CT-7701," Krell glared at him.

Kal took back whatever respectful thoughts he had for Krell just a second ago. "You did ask a question, sir."

"It was rhetorical. Never mind. I should've known a clone wouldn't understand."

_Just breathe Kal. Just breathe. I'm not Steele but I'm not stupid either. General Korentayer promised this would be over soon…_

Later that night, the clones woke up to the sound of mechanical marching. Kal immediately ordered Compass and Egad to go out and see where the noise was coming from.

The two clones did as told and found the source.

"Now that is a lot of clankers." Egad whistled.

In a valley not too far below their base camp, was a band of surviving droids. Luckily for the clones, those droids weren't marching towards them. But they weren't marching away either.

"They're headed for the village up ahead!" Compass pointed.

"Isn't that where the General Syndulla and the Resistance are staying at?" Egad inquired.

Compass nodded. He raced back towards the camp. "We need to tell the commander!"

As soon as they got back, Compass and Egad told Commander Kal everything. Kal immediately confronted Krell about the news.

"We need to destroy the droids before they reach the village," Kal said. "Or else innocents will die."

"Innocents die by the thousands every day, commander," Krell put his hands behind his back. "And besides the Twi'leks made it clear they don't want Republic aid. Why insist on helping anyways?"

"Because it's the right thing to do," Kal stood his ground.

"No. The right thing to do is to obey my orders. And my orders are to stay here! The Twi'leks can fend them off on their own. They've been doing that long before we've arrived and they'll keep doing that until the war's ended!"

Krell ended the talk after that. Kal knew it was futile to convince his general to go with his idea. But that didn't stop him from doing what he believed in.

"Compass, Egad!" Kal called them over again. "Gather a group of the best men you know. And head to the village. You're going to help them defend it."

"But what if they try to drive us out?" Egad asked.

"They won't. Because you won't be fighting for them. All you'll be doing is giving them a plan. And helping them set it up," Kal explained.

"What plan, sir?"

Kal smiled lightly. "You'll see…"

~ O O O ~

The Twi'leks in the village were alerted upon seeing the group of clone troopers riding towards them. Several guards pointed their blasters at them. But the clones quickly held up their hands.

"We're unarmed!" Egad shouted.

The guards lowered their weapons. The crowd that gathered around the front suddenly moved to the side. Cham Syndulla appeared.

"Clones." The leader of the Resistance shook his head. "What are you doing here?"

"We're here to warn you of the incoming droid attack, General Syndualla." Compass explained.

"We have no need of Republic assistance! Have I not made it clear before?"

"You have. Which is why we aren't here to fight for you," Egad got off his speeder. He walked up to the Twi'lek general and presented a drawn-out plan. "Here."

Syndulla opened it. "What's this?"

"Our commander's plan for you." Egad answered. "There are too many droids for your people to take on. This is to help raise your odds."

After reading over the plan one more time. Syndulla closed it and nodded at the clones. "Alright. It seems plausible. So you'll help us prepare? But not fight?"

"Yes. As soon as the droids arrive, we'll be on our way." Compass promised.

"Then let's get started."

The next couple of minutes was spent preparing Kal's grand plan. The clones worked together with the Twi'leks and things sped along nicely.

Before they knew it, the droids were already within view over the horizon. Syndulla quickly finished tying the last torch to a Blurrg and waved for his fighters to get into formation.

Egad prepared to leave. "Alright. The rest is up to you, General Syndulla."

"My thanks to all of you, and your commander," Syndulla said sincerely. "Perhaps I've been too harsh with my views of the Republic."

"You're not wrong though," Egad sighed. "Not all of the Republic is as good as it seems."

"That may be so. But still, I'm glad you clones were here to help us tonight," Syndulla truly meant it.

Egad smiled. For the first time in a long time, he felt pride in being a soldier.

Soon, the squad of clones left the village. They rode back to the their base camp on their speeders. Passing by the droids marching towards the village on their way back.

The Resistance immediately commenced the fighting as the droids got too close to the village perimeter.

"Release the Blurrgs!" Syndulla commanded.

The fighters did as told. And the Blurrgs all ran out. Torches were safely attached to the animals' sides. Making it appear as if flames were flying across the darkness. The Twi'lek fighters ran out with them.

"Uh oh…what is that?" One of the droids in the front asked his comrade.

The Blurrgs and Twi'leks charged towards them. Blasting away.

"I thought you said there weren't a lot of them!" The same droid shouted.

"I did!" His comrade cried before being trampled over by a Blurrg.

The trampled droid was right though. They outnumbered the Twi'leks but the torch-attached Blurrgs made the Resistance appear larger in number. And more intimidating.

Within seconds, several droids either ran away or were taken out by Syndulla's fighters. The fight didn't last too long. Since the droids at the back decided to retreat after seeing what was happening in the front.

They all disappeared before the crack of dawn. The village was safe.

From the base camp, Kal looked at the retreating droids with his binoculars. He sighed in relief.

"Commander Steele would praise you if he was here right now," one of the troopers said to Kal.

"Or scold me for going against the general's orders. Again."

~ O O O ~

"That Kal!" Steele hit his forehead with his palm. "What is he thinking? Defying the general like that? Still, he did the right thing. Defending the village and protecting civilians. But Krell won't see it as that."

Aliyah had just told him of the 304th's mission on Ryloth. Which was told to her by Shaak Ti.

Steele feared the worst for his former sergeant. "The general is going to be furious."

"Well, he seems to be doing fine so far," Aliyah assured. "General Ti told me that Krell tried to make him sleep in the freezer like you. But Kal and everyone else fought back."

Steele turned around with wide eyes. "They did?"

"Yeah. You've led a strong legion of clones, Steele. And you've always looked for them. Let them look out for you this time."

The absent commander of the 304th thought hard. He never thought the day would come that he'd hear his men take on their general. Without him.

He was proud of them for sure. But also worried.

"Don't misunderstand me, General Korentayer." Steele said in a low voice. "I trust my men with my life. I just don't trust them with their own."

"Ahhhh," Aliyah nodded in understanding. "I see."

She didn't try to prolong the conversation after that. Because she knew it's futile trying to change Steele's mind. So she left him to be once again.

As soon as Aliyah was out. Steele realized something. He facepalmed himself once again.

"I forgot to apologize to her…"

~ O O O ~

"He's scared his men will get themselves killed in their pursuit of seeing Krell justified." Aliyah said to Plo.

The two of them were sitting out in the back of the Temple. It was a rather sunny day today. They've been so busy with the war that they hardly had the time to just sit and talk.

"I doubt that they will be that reckless. As long as Krell doesn't do anything too drastic," Plo assured.

Aliyah hugged her knees. "I sure hope so."

"Master Plo."

Plo and Aliyah looked up to see Mace Windu and Kit Fisto approach them. They both got up to show respect.

"Master Windu, Master Fisto," Plo greeted.

"We just heard from the Senate today. They had a discussion over the costs of replenishing General Krell's legion. And were concerned about the high expenses," Mace explained.

Plo pretended to be surprised. "I see. Let me guess, they are electing to remove him from the 304th in order to cut costs?"

"Yes," Kit answered. "And we plan on holding a meeting with all the Council members soon to discuss this more."

"Soon?" Plo sounded amused. "Why not now?"

"Becase not everyone is available right now. Including you," Mace revealed. "Master Plo, you just received a new assignment. The details are in the information room. Your commander's already waiting on call."

Plo scratched the back of his head. He turned to Aliyah. "I'll see you later, 'Liyah."

"Be safe as always, Master," Aliyah said. Concentrating hard to mask her disappointment.

She was hoping they'd be able to present their argument to the Council today. But looks like it'll have to wait.

Plo and the two Jedi Masters started to walk away. But before Kit completely left, he turned around to face her.

"Aliyah, have you received a clone division yet?" He asked out of curiosity.

Aliyah politely shook her head. "No. Not yet."

Kit gave her an encouraging grin. "Don't worry too much. I'm sure you'll make an excellent leader. Just like your Master!"

~ O O O ~

"You think that just because you have the title 'commander' means you can do whatever you want?" Krell snarled at Kal.

"I didn't do whatever I wanted," Kal defended himself. "As soldiers in the Republic Army, we have a responsibility. And that's to protect the Republic. All the people living in it. Including the Twi'leks who refused our help."

Before Krell could say another word, Kal crossed his arms and said. "And if Commander Steele were here. He'd agree."

_Smack!_

Krell backhandedly struck Kal's face. He saw stars. Which prevented him from seeing Krell's incoming punch.

The punch landed right on his eye. Followed by another punch. Kal's vision was turning black.

The surrounding clone troopers were frozen for a split of a second.

Deja vu.

"STOP!" They all shrieked maniacally.

Several troopers flung themselves in front of Kal. Others held back Krell's arm to prevent the next punch from landing. Compass and Vito helped Kal back up, whose vision was clearing.

"Stop! Stop please…" They all quivered.

Their fearless expressions from the other night withered away. Replaced by frostbitten fear.

Krell smirked ever so slightly. "I see you all still remember that _first incident_. Unless you want that to happen again. I trust you'll all be loyal soldiers from now on?"

"...yes, general…" They all said in unison.

"Good. Our next mission will be on Raxus. The Separatist capital world. I'll be expecting each and every one of you to be in line."

With that, Krell left the room. As soon as he did, the clones all fell to the ground.

Shaking and breathing heavily.

~ O O O ~

Steele stood in front of a mirror in Plo's chamber. It's been so long since he last examined himself. Has anything changed at all?

"Nope, still same as always…" He peered closer at his reflection. "Same face, same blood, same everything…"

He lingered on the sight of his goggles. These pristine white-edged, orange-lensed lifesavers have been with him since the beginning of the war.

After the _first incident_ …

Flashes of what happened that fateful day went through his mind. Steele gripped his temple to knock those images all out.

Clenching his teeth and sucking his breath, he removed his goggles. Slowly, steadily. And tried his best to see his own reflection in the mirror. To see his own eyes once again.

But all he saw was a foggy, hazy world. With dark spots dancing around the edges.

"Argh!"

Steele banged his fists against the wall next to the mirror. He hated this.

Hated how even once Krell is removed from the 304th. He'll be forced to carry a permanent reminder of that tyrant general until the day he dies.

Steele throws his goggles to the side of the room, careful to not use too much force to damage it. He sits down on the floor and buries his face in his hands.

"Kriff this…"

~ O O O ~

In her own room, Aliyah looked over the draft of the proposal to remove Krell. The holograms of Plo and Shaak Ti were displayed on two small holocomms on her table.

"Everything seems to be good so far," Shaak Ti said.

"The Council are definitely paying more attention to the 304th since Steele's disappearance," Plo added. "And following the conclusion from the Senate and with the support of Lama Su. They'll definitely listen."

Aliyah agreed. But she felt that there was one small problem.

"Hmm. All we've planned to do is tell the Council to strip Krell of his title. Say they agree to that. But then they'll ask, 'so who's going to take over?'"

Plo and Shaak Ti were both quiet. Then Plo answered. "One step at a time, 'Liyah. One step at a time."

Shaak Ti smiled soothingly. "A good candidate will present themself afterwards."

"Will they though?" Aliyah couldn't help but worry. "The men of the 304th served Krell since the war began. If anything, he's the Jedi they've been most exposed to. I wouldn't be surprised if their views about the rest of us are…not in the best light."

"That is true," Plo thought about this. "Combined with the fact the Council didn't do a thing when they first complained about Krell…they've probably had a hard time trusting Jedi this entire time. We'll discuss more once I return."

Plo ended his call, leaving just Aliyah and Shaak Ti. The Togruta Jedi said her thoughts before leaving as well.

"They may have difficulties in the future when working with Jedi officers, but I'm sure they'll improve. After all, wounds heal."

"But scars don't," Aliyah said. "That's what I'm afraid about. Even with Krell gone, there'll be things he's done that they'll never forget about."

"The only people who can help them to overcome that is themselves," was Shaak Ti's final words before ending the call.

Aliyah put away the proposal tablet and holocomms. She wondered about possible candidates for the 304th after Krell's removed. But couldn't think of anyone good.

" _Aliyah, have you received a clone division yet?"_ Kit Fisto's question earlier today returned to her.

She sat on the edge of her bed, thinking about what Kit said to her. "After I finish this. I'll worry about that."

_**Next time on The Clone's Hero, Krell keeps the 304th under control by reminding them of THE DAY. The day their clone commander lost his vision…** _


	11. The day he lost his sight (Intro pt11)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking around this far! This introductory arc will be finished in a couple of chapters.
> 
> So if you want the story to continue, please give me some ideas! Leave it in the comments below!
> 
> See you all next time! :)
> 
> \- MiraLake

**The day he lost his sight**

_**Some things can never be undone or forgiven** _

_"Why does he wear those goggles all the time?" Rex asked Cody._

_"Not familiar with the missing commander of the 304th, are you?" Cody retorted._

_Rex shook his head. "Fought with him once during a short siege on Naboo. But other than that, never mingled with him much."_

_"He's not much of a talker, but can you blame him? His general is that terrifying Besalisk." Cody shuddered. "Well anyway, from what I heard. He lost most of his sight because of an injury on his first mission."_

_"Must be one hell of an injury," Rex tsked._

_Cody agreed. "Yeah. It's a miracle General Krell still keeps him around as his commander. And that he always forces him onto the front lines."_

_Rex couldn't imagine what it's like fighting in the front while being so reliant on a piece of headgear._

_Similar to how the Jedi generals describe their lightsabers: 'this weapon is my life.' Steele thinks the same of his goggles: 'this equipment is my life.'_

_"The damage to Commander Steele's eyes is permanent?"_

_Cody nodded. "Unfortunately, yes."_

~ O O O ~

The 304th just arrived on Raxus. They had help from several Republic fleets and starfighters in getting past the planet's orbital garrison.

Once they got into the atmosphere, the Separatists lost track of them. Allowing them to land without a fight.

Krell stood about as the clones set up their large headquarters base. This will be their home for the next couple of days here on Raxus.

"This is the biggest mission you've received since your last commander!" Krell bellowed. "So prove to me you all learned from his mistakes!"

"Yes, sir."

The clones answered half-heartedly. They were still shaken from Krell's beating Kal the other day. They feared their general more than they did when Steele was still around.

Krell pulled Kal aside. "CT-7701. Will I be expecting nothing less than absolute obedience from you?"

Slowly nodding, Kal said with a lump in his throat. "Of course, general."

"Good. Glad to see you're finally learning from your predecessor. We don't want a repeat of what happened on the first mission, do we?"

Kal averted the Besalisk's glare. "Yes, general."

Krell wondered why he didn't try reminding these clones of the _incident_ earlier. It was very effective in getting them to listen to him.

As long as they remembered what happened with Steele _that day_. They'll never try to cross him again. Out of fear that they'll meet the same fate.

~ O O O ~

"Have you seen this clone? Have you seen this clone?"

Those repeated lines from the police droids were beginning to drive Aliyah nuts. She desperately wanted to talk to the Council.

The Senate and Lama Su already made their thoughts clear. They wanted Krell removed as much as she did. But the Council still needs to make the final decision as a whole.

And with Plo currently away on assignment and Shaak Ti still stuck at Kamino, there's no way they'll listen to just her. She's but a recently knighted Jedi with no clone division.

Not wanting to call her Master while he's busy, Aliyah decides to call Shaak Ti instead.

"Hello, Aliyah. What are you calling for?" Shaak Ti answered.

"Just wondering how the 304th is doing."

"They're away on a mission at Raxus."

"Raxus? Isn't that the capital world of the Separatists?"

Looks like she can't sneak out to visit the 304th this time. It'll be hard—not to mention dangerous—navigating a heavily populated Separatist world.

"Yes. They're there to retrieve stolen Republic supplies," Shaak Ti's eyes filled with worry. "I do fear for their safety. Especially after what happened when they returned from Ryloth."

The worst possible outcomes filled Aliyah's head. "What happened? What did Krell do?"

"Let's just say Kal visited the infirmary that night…for an eye examination…"

"Oh stars…" Aliyah covered her mouth.

"He's fine though. Don't worry. When will Plo Koon be back?"

"I'm not sure. He said that he'll try and return as quickly as possible though."

Shaak Ti nodded. "Alright. I'll be coming over from Kamino soon. We'll present to the Council. In the meantime, check on Steele."

"I always do," Aliyah said before ending the call.

~ O O O ~

That night on Raxus, the 304th conducted their first supply raid.

"Charge!" Kal shouted.

The clones all rushed out and into enemy lines. The droids and Separatist guards surrounding the warehouse were caught by surprise.

"Defend the weapons!" The head guard cried.

Kal shot the same guard who just issued the order. "Those weapons weren't yours to begin with."

Due to their higher numbers and surprise factor, the 304th were dominating the battle. It was over before they knew it.

However, it wasn't without heavy damages. The Separatists, in their desperation, blew up most of the warehouse before retreating.

_Boom!_

"The weapons!" Compass cried at the sight of the smoking warehouse.

"J—just salvage what you can!" Kal countered.

He called for the loading vehicles. Then rushed into the destroyed building. All the clones followed him.

They dug around the wreckage, finding anything that's still usable. After examining the entire compound, Kal decided it's futile to keep looking. They've gathered as much as they could.

"Let's move out!" Kal ordered.

They returned to base camp.

Once there, Krell looked at the pile and crates of charred weapons. He was not happy at the sight.

"I thought I ordered you to retrieve the weapons! All of them! In quality condition!"

Kal nervously played with his wrists. "The enemy blew up the warehouse before we were able to secure it, general. Most of the weapons were destroyed in the explosion."

"Is this your off day or something, CT-7701? Or were you made to be this incompetent?" Krell yelled.

He picked up a charred blaster rifle from the pile and struck Kal's head. Knocking the clone commander off his feet. And breaking off parts of his helmet.

This time, none of the clones fought back as Krell unleashed his fury on them. The reminder of _the incident_ was still fresh in their minds.

That night, everyone went to sleep in pain. Their bodies aching. And their spirits broken.

~ O O O ~

Steele tried taking an afternoon nap for once. But it was hard, with the talking outside Plo's chamber. At first, he ignored it. But then he heard one of the voices mention Krell's name.

He immediately walked closer to the door to listen.

"Once I become a Jedi general, I'd make sure to never follow Krell's footsteps!" A male voice said in a determined tone.

"That's for sure!" A female voice said. Probably his friend. "Even though his clones failed in getting all the weapons back, there's no need to get violent!"

_What happened?_

Steele broke out in cold sweat. He kept listening to the two younglings converse outside. They were talking about Krell's actions and the 304th clones.

"If that's the way he treats his men all the time, then his commander is probably missing because he was sick of it!" The male youngling theorized.

"Yeah. Or maybe he left to plan his revenge mission on Krell!" The female youngling suggested.

Steele took note of what the female youngling just said. Maybe he should do exactly that.

"What're you younglings talking about?" Aliyah entered the hall.

"Jedi Knight Korentayer! Oh, we were just talking about what makes a good leader!"

"And what makes a good leader?"

"Being able to understand your followers!"

Aliyah praised them. "You'll both be great commanders and maybe generals one day. Now go along. Don't you have classes to be at?"

~ O O O ~

As soon as the younglings were out of sight, Aliyah entered Plo's chamber. Steele was expecting her.

"Any news of my men?" He asked sarcastically.

"So you heard the younglings outside."

"I'm tired of this, general," Steele confessed. "I'm tired of always wondering what's going on with them."

"Once Master Plo returns, I'll go to the Council. Him, Shaak Ti, and I will speak to them. There's no way they won't listen to us."

"And if they don't?"

Aliyah swept her hand to the side. "They will."

"How are you so sure?"

"Because they still remember the last time they decided not to listen to me."

That got Steele curious. "What?"

"Better for you to not know," Aliyah answered. "Don't worry. I didn't break the law or anything like that. That memory is just a little insurance in case the Council continues to be stubborn after all these voices of support."

~ O O O ~

On Raxus, the 304th clones continued to work hard to retrieve all stolen Republic supplies. They needed an improved result or else Krell will never let them see the light of day again.

On Coruscant, Steele couldn't stop thinking about his men. How they're doing on Raxus. And what Krell's doing to them.

Kal and his men fought tirelessly through the Separatist guards. They always made sure to keep the damage to a minimum. Using only droid poppers and standard blasters. No heavy firepower.

The hours ticked by. And Steele's mind was still stuck on his men. He paced around the chamber. The different sides of his mind battling each other.

The sky darkened on Raxus. Krell called his legion back to base and assessed the results. He still wasn't pleased.

"The hell is this?" Krell knocked away the recently brought in supplies.

He walked up to Kal and pointed a finger at the clone's chest. "You're seriously pushing my limits, CT-7701."

Kal could only apologize. He didn't want to go to sleep in pain again. And neither did the rest of his brothers.

"We'll do better tomorrow, general." He swallowed hard.

Night fell on Coruscant and Steele thought about Kal. Oh, how bright that sergeant always was. He couldn't think what Krell is doing to him right now.

"You bastard…" Steele said under his breath.

~ O O O ~

"So you're coming back tomorrow?" Aliyah excitedly asked a hologram of Plo.

"Yes. And I've notified Shaak Ti as well. She'll be here after I arrive."

"That's great. We'll present to the Council. And hopefully, everything turns out ok."

"Tell Steele it's really going to be over this time," Plo reminded before ending the call.

Aliyah puts the comm away and walks across the quiet halls of the Jedi Temple. She was about to go up the stairs that lead to Plo's chambers when she saw a red-armoured clone.

"Hello?" She asked.

The clone turned around. It was Steele.

He quickly rushed down the hall. She chased after him. They were careful in not making too much sound. Neither wanted to alert anyone.

Soon, they reached the hangar and Aliyah saw no one was about but them. It was safe to talk louder here.

"Hey! Wait!" She cried.

Steele stopped running. "I'm sorry, general. I can't stay here and torture myself every day, wondering how my men are!"

"What about _your_ life? If something happens to you, they'll never forgive themselves!"

"They already can't forgive themselves!" Steele shouted then quickly covered his mouth.

The two looked around to make sure no one heard that. No one did. So Aliyah asked Steele what he meant by that.

She softened her tone. "They can't forgive themselves? Why?"

"It wasn't their fault, really…"

"Just tell me what happened." Aliyah stepped a little closer.

Steele's arm began to shake. He held it still with his other arm. "No one stepped forward to stop the general that day. It was during our first deployment. Near the beginning of the war…"

_The 304th were on their first mission. It was a milestone for every clone trooper here. Because today was the day they met their Jedi general. And will fight under him until the war's end._

" _I am General Krell. You're to call me that, 'general', or 'sir'. Got it?"_

_All the clones saluted. "Yes, sir!"_

_Krell turned to the clone at the front. The one wearing more decorated armour. "And you? You're to be my clone commander, is that right?"_

_Steele stepped forward. "Yes. It is an honour to work with you, General Krell."_

Steele kept speaking to Aliyah. "We had to destroy a Separatist hideout. But it was harder than anticipated. Nothing at all like our training simulations. We ended up retreating. And I was the one who made that call…"

" _Retreat! Everyone, retreat!" Steele commanded._

" _CT-3484, you're not to retreat! Hold your ground and keep firing!" Krell commanded back at him._

" _Sir. There's too many of them! We need to fall back and rethink our strategy!"_

Steele shook his head in memory of that. "I was a fool. I didn't know that our general valued victory above all else."

" _You retreated."_

" _Yes, sir. I did. It was not wise to take the enemy on in a full-frontal attack. They were more than prepared for us."_

_"And you think that gives you the ok to disobey me?"_

_Steele looked at his general earnestly. "In these circumstances? Yes, sir."_

_All his clones nodded in agreement. They were so sure that their general would agree with them that they didn't see the first punch coming in._

_Krell's fist connected dead on Steele's left eye. Knocking him to the ground._

" _Ugh!" Steele grunted in shock._

At this point, Steele was breathing heavily. Aliyah stepped a bit closer. She gave him a sympathetic look that encouraged him to keep talking.

Steele's voice cracked. "The hits just kept coming in…again and again and again…"

_Steele saw stars after the first punch. He couldn't understand why his general hit him. But before he could think more, another punch came flying in._

_It landed on the same eye. More punches followed. Always hitting on, or around Steele's eyes and upper face._

_Krell didn't say a word while he laid in hits. But Steele didn't just sit there and take it._

_He made an effort to fight back. However it was hard due to his blurred vision._

_Krell quickly subdued him again. "So you got some fight in you now? But not out there on the battlefield?"_

_Steele received another punch. This time, he felt warm blood trickle down his face when Krell's fist pulled back._

_"General…" He coughed._

_"Don't talk back to me." Krell seethed._

_Steele couldn't talk back even if he wanted to. Krell held him by his turtleneck, throwing in punch after punch._

_The clones all stood around. Frozen in disbelief and fear._

_Finally, after a solid 5 minutes, Krell felt Steele go limp. He lets go of the barely conscious clone commander. Whose face was an unrecognizable and bloody mess._

"' _Your commander has sustained a grave injury in battle'. That's what you're going to say once we return to Kamino," Krell announced._

_The clones broke free of the godforsaken spell Krell put them under. They blinked at their general._

" _Y—Yes…sir…"_

" _Yes what?" Krell double-checked. "What do you say to the Kaminoan doctors and authorities?"_

"' _The commander has sustained a grave injury while in battle.'" They repeated shakily._

_Krell shook his hands free of Steele's blood. Then he left the scene._

_Egad was the first one to rush to Steele's side. "Commander! Stay with me! Stay with me!"_

" _Get the medics!" Kal shouted._

_Everyone called for the medics. They quickly made way for them as soon as they arrived._

" _Hang on, commander!"_

" _You're going to be ok! Ok?"_

" _Stay with us!"_

_Steele barely remembered what was going on as soft white bandages wrapped around his head. Covering his eyes._

"I was rushed back to Kamino…put under emergency surgery. It took hours. And when I woke up…my world was dark…" Steele clenched his teeth. "The surgeons did all they could. They fixed the major damages. But they couldn't fully restore my sight."

" _We can make him special impaired vision goggles," one surgeon explained to Krell._

" _Then do it. And make it fast." Krell crossed his arms. "I need him up and going as soon as possible."_

_Days later, the goggles were finished. Steele put them on. And could see the world around him again. But the second they came off. His world turned back into nothingness._

_The war still raged on. So Krell made Steele and his men fight as if nothing's happened. Constantly, forcing them to execute full-frontal attacks without any other backup._

_Raising their casualty numbers to unbelievable levels. But because of that incident after the first mission. The incident that resulted in Commander Steele losing his sight._

_They never dared to retreat again._

"And since then. I believed that my life and the lives of my men meant _**nothing**_ to the Republic! We were just numbers! Meant to be expendable and replaced the second we fall! And then…y—you!" Steele pointed at Aliyah. "You just had to come in and destroy my opinion of the Republic and the Jedi!"

"How dare you…" Steele's voice shook while saying that.

Aliyah didn't move or say anything.

"How dare you show me that good people still exist in this war, General Korentayer."

~ O O O ~

That night, Steele didn't leave the Jedi Temple. Aliyah led him back to Plo's chamber. Gently and quietly.

"Get some rest, ok?" She said softly.

"Don't go." Steele's voice sounded lifeless. But still, he pleaded. "Don't go."

So Aliyah stayed. She planned to stay until he fell asleep. However, when her eyes were beginning to droop. She realized this may turn into a contest.

They both sat at a table. Steele rested his head in his arms. Aliyah kept an eye on him. But soon grew tired and laid her own head down.

After a couple minutes of shut-eye, Aliyah jolted awake. She quickly checked on Steele again.

He was asleep, to her relief. She contemplated moving him to his bed but thought against it.

Instead, Aliyah scooted closer towards him. She laid her head down on the table again. Preparing to sleep here tonight.

After hearing Steele's story, she was more determined than ever in removing Krell.

_I swear. I will never let Krell hurt you or any of your men ever again._

She squeezed her hands into fists.

_I promise._

_**Next time on The Clone's Hero, Aliyah finally faces the Jedi Council with Plo Koon and Shaak Ti. Question is, will they listen…?** _


	12. Facing the Jedi Council (Intro pt12)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so happy more and more people are enjoying my story! Thank you, everyone! :)
> 
> Writing has been a huge factor in keeping my sanity during this time of quarantine. We just have a couple more chapters left before this story (or arc) is finished!
> 
> Stay with me, guys!
> 
> See you all next time! :)
> 
> \- MiraLake

**Facing the Jedi Council**

_**Don't just plan to overthrow a leader. Plan for who to replace them with as well.** _

Plo Koon arrived back on Coruscant nice and early. He immediately went to his chamber.

"Steele, are you…?" Plo stopped mid-sentence.

As soon as he opened the door, he was greeted to an interesting sight.

Steele was fast asleep at the table. And next to him, sat Aliyah, also fast asleep. Both were completely unaware of Plo's presence.

Plo quickly walked up to the pair and tapped Aliyah's free shoulder. "'Liyah, wake up."

Aliyah blinked several times to clear her vision. She smiled upon seeing Plo. "Welcome back, Master."

"Let's talk outside," Plo said softly.

"Ok."

The two went out to be halls. Plo didn't know how to ask Aliyah why she was in his chamber last night. Luckily, he didn't have to.

"Master, I should explain what you saw back there," Aliyah said.

Plo nodded. "Please do."

"Steele told me the truth behind losing his vision last night. It wasn't sustained in battle at all. General Krell violently beat him after the 304th's first deployment! He's the one behind it!"

"What?" Plo almost lost his voice. "I—I…can't believe this."

He held his head in shock. Aliyah understood his reaction. She was just like that last night.

"Believe it. After he told me that, I couldn't just leave him alone. He seemed so broken. He asked to not go. So I stayed with him the entire night."

Now Plo understood. "I see. This is a monstrous act done by Krell. Those poor clones. The first time they get deployed, they witness their commander lose his sight at the hands of their own general."

"Which is why we're finalizing the decision to remove that general. _Today._ " Aliyah said in a determined voice.

~ O O O ~

The 304th woke up disheartened. A new day. Another warehouse to raid. And more crap to take from their general.

Kal led the clones towards their next attack location. His eye still aches from Krell's punches nights ago. But he's grateful that his vision's still intact.

"When will this be over?" He said out loud.

"I don't know," a clone trooper behind him answered. He walked next to Kal. "But I know we'll make it through this. All of us."

The warehouse soon came into view. Kal stopped before they got too close. "I sure hope so."

They prepared for the attack.

~ O O O ~

Shaak Ti stepped off the fleet that took her from Kamino to Coruscant. She was greeted by Plo and Aliyah below.

"Welcome back to the Temple, Master," Aliyah bowed her head.

"Thank you. It's good to be back."

"We must be ready," Plo stepped forward. "I've already called the Council to discuss the removal of Krell today. And I mentioned Aliyah will be joining."

Aliyah bit her lip nervously. "This is it. This is what I've been waiting for."

"We'll be right behind you. Every step of the way." Shaak Ti put a comforting hand on Aliyah's back.

Plo nodded. "Trust in yourself, 'Liyah. And lead the way."

~ O O O ~

The Council all gathered in the tower. The meeting is about to commence. All the Masters sat in their chairs, including Plo Koon and Shaak Ti.

Aliyah waited outside patiently. Waiting to be called in.

"We all know why we're here today," Mace Windu began. "To debate whether or not Pong Krell should be removed as general of the 304th."

All the Masters nodded. Mace turned to Plo. "Master Plo Koon. You said that your former Padawan, Aliyah Korentayer, will be joining us today."

"Yes, I did. She has some words to say."

"Then call her in, shall we?" Yoda gestured to the doors of the Council room.

They automatically opened, and Aliyah stepped in the room full of seasoned Jedi Masters. Amongst them, her own former Master. Who gave her a small nod of encouragement.

She stood in the center of the room and bowed her head. "Masters."

"Speak, Young Korentayer," Yoda urged. "Why have you come here today?"

"I have come here today, to ensure you will remove Krell from the 304th."

All the Council murmured to each other. Ki-Adi-Mundi asked, "'Ensure?' Why do you want him to be removed, absolutely?"

"I do not _want_ him removed, Master. He _needs_ to be removed," Aliyah corrected. "He's a danger to the clones of his legion. And a financial drain on the Republic, according to the Senate. And even Lama Su says that the clones were not bred to be treated the way Krell's treating them!"

"We're well aware of that at this point," Mace said. "But right now, our main concern is locating Krell's missing commander."

"Who's been going through traumatic experiences since day one of the war!" Aliyah raised her voice.

"Define 'traumatic experiences'," Obi-Wan Kenobi asked.

"Leading countless frontal attacks with stacking casualty rates. Enduring his general's harsh words and beatings after every battle. Being forcibly held in a sink full of ice-water. Nearly getting his head sliced off by Krell's lightsaber! And this is just the tip of the iceberg!"

Shaak Ti stood up from her chair. "I can vouch for Aliyah. I was witness to Krell's wrath on his clones after the failed Mustafar mission. He did indeed, try to kill his own commander."

More murmurs amongst the Council. Aliyah broke their talk by asking, "you know that the missing commander always wears goggles right?"

Eeth Koth nodded. "It's to help him see. After he lost his sight from an injury—"

"—That's what the reports say," Aliyah interrupted. "In reality, Krell's the one responsible! He inflicted permanent eye damage on his commander, after the 304th retreated during their first war assignment! Is locating Steele really the top priority right now?"

The Council exploded with talk. Some were greatly disturbed by this fact while others find it hard to believe such an incident could've been kept a secret this whole time.

"Disturbing this news is, Young Korentayer," Yoda spoke.

"What proof do you have that this is true? If the reports all covered this incident up, how did you learn about it?" Mace inquired.

Aliyah took another look at Plo. He sat a bit more forward in his chair. She knew that he had her back. But she had to take the first step.

"How I found out about it does not matter. Because I'm more concerned about the safety and longevity of the 304th if Krell isn't removed soon. Because I saw…I saw a future where their commander dies, indirectly by Krell's hands!"

"You had a vision of Commander Steele's death?" Kit Fisto sat straighter.

As did the whole Council. Every Jedi here at the Temple had their unique traits and gifts. For Aliyah, it was her exceptional Force visions. They were always detailed and accurate, unlike most others. And they can be avoided if dealt with properly.

"When did you have this vision?" Adi Gallia asked.

"The day before my Knighting," Aliyah revealed. "I had no idea who the clone in my vision was at that time. I also told my Master about it, before being sent to Kamino. That's where I met Master Ti and Commander Steele for the first time. And that's when I started suspecting Steele to be the clone in my vision."

"Can you tell us what exactly you saw in your vision?" Mace pressed.

Aliyah nodded. "I saw a crimson-haired clone. He had the numbers '3484' shaved into his head. He was locked in some kind of freezer storage room. Forced to sleep there, by General Krell. And then one night…"

"Keep going," Yoda encouraged.

"...one night, he was taken away by Separatist spies who broke into the Kamino headquarters. He was brought before several scientists, who attempted to remove something from his head…but something went wrong on the operating table and…and…"

The entire Council leaned a bit forward.

Aliyah took a deep breath. "...the clone died."

Everyone was silent. Aliyah knew what they were thinking. They were thinking of the time when she told them about her vision of Dooku before the Clone Wars.

"Are you going to let this vision slide too? Just like you did with my vision of Count Dooku turning to the Dark Side?"

"That'll depend," Mace answered. "When were you certain that Commander Steele was indeed the clone from your vision?"

"The day his men, Compass, Egad, and Kal, took me to him in the freezer," Aliyah revealed. "He was locked in there, forced to sleep in the cold every night. _Exactly_ how I saw it in my vision. And that's when I knew: in order to save his life, I had to remove him from Krell's clutches."

"'Remove him from Krell's clutches?' Wait a second…" Mace was putting the puzzle pieces together.

And immediately came to a realization. All of the Council members seemed to have come to the same realization too.

Aliyah put her hands behind her back. "Yes. I'm the one behind Commander Steele's disappearance."

Loud gasps and 'I don't believe this' and 'what in the galaxy' filled the room.

"Where is he?" Mace demanded.

"Safe. Here at the Temple. By the way, _he_ was the one who told me the truth behind his vision-loss if you were still wondering."

Mace was not happy. "Aliyah Korentayer, what you've done is extremely drastic and borderline criminal!"

"I know." Was all she said.

That's when Plo Koon and Shaak Ti both stood up. Plo called for everyone's attention. "I was in on it. As were three of my men, Commander Wolffe, Sergeant Sinker, and Boost."

"And so was I," Shaak Ti added.

Plo further explained. "Steele has been living in my chamber since his disappearance. He's been well-nourished and rested."

"Masters, why did you partake in such a plan?" Obi-Wan asked curiously with no hint of dismay.

"Because we cannot let our values as Jedi slip while this war goes on," Plo said truthfully.

Yoda thought hard. With all of these stacking revelations and cries to have Krell removed, he simply cannot ignore it anymore.

"Concerned about the future of the Jedi, I have been, too. Early in this war, we still are. But already, so many changes, we have encountered. Address Krell's actions, we need."

All the Masters agreed with that.

"He needs to be removed," Kit Fisto gave Aliyah an approving look.

"I second that," Obi-Wan supported him.

"And so do I," Adi Gallia added.

However, despite half the Council wanting to remove Krell. The other half remained unconvinced. Including Mace Windu.

Aliyah didn't give up yet. "Masters, what's keeping you from going forward with Krell's removal?"

"So far, all we have are words," Oppo Rancisis said. "Words can be biased. Unless we have something concrete, like a hologram recording of Krell abusing his clones, I'm undecided on his removal."

Even Piell shook his head at Master Rancisis's reason. "I don't mind having words as the only testimony to Krell's actions. What's holding me back from removing him is the future of his legion. What will happen to them once he is gone?"

Mace nodded in agreement. "We still have a war to fight. And the 304th cannot be sent into the battlefield without a Jedi general. We'd need to find a new one once Krell's gone. And that takes time. Time which we may not have."

Everyone was quiet. Even the Jedi Masters who previously agreed to have Krell removed, started to debate their choice.

Plo and Shaak Ti didn't know what to say. They didn't plan this far ahead.

Only Aliyah was thinking of something besides the future of the 304th. Instead, she recalled several significant memories with them.

_Compass agreed. But he was still upset that Krell refused to take Steele out of the freezer. "The general has absolutely no regard for his life! Or our lives for the matter!"_

" _So he's safe. That's all we need to know." Egad looked directly at Aliyah. "Thank you, General Korentayer."_

_Kal held up a hand to prevent Aliyah from saying more. "Hold on, general. You're telling us that you're working to remove Krell from our legion?"_

" _And since then. I believed that my life and the lives of my men meant_ _ **nothing**_ _to the Republic! We were just numbers! Meant to be expendable and replaced the second we fall! And then…y—you!" Steele pointed at Aliyah._

The events from last night were still fresh in Aliyah's mind.

" _You just had to come in and destroy my opinion of the Republic and the Jedi!"_

She knew what to do now.

"Masters." Aliyah waited for everyone's full attention before continuing. "If it's concrete evidence you want, then send two Council members to the 304th's location on Raxus. And see for your own eyes, what Krell does behind the scenes. And for the issue concerning the legion's future after Krell's removal…"

Aliyah stood straight and determined. Doing her best to erase any shreds of doubt.

"...I'll take over the role as general of the 304th."

The Council was once again heavily divided. Shouts and arguments came from every corner of the circle.

"This is madness!"

"Are you sure about that?"

"You've only been recently Knighted!"

"But she is Knighted nonetheless! She has the authority to command clones as a general."

"Aliyah…" Plo was shocked.

Yoda quieted everyone down. "Enough. Like I said before, get us nowhere, arguing will. Young Korentayer, please explain. Why a good candidate for Krell's replacement, you believe you are?"

"I can turn their views of the Jedi around." Aliyah answered. "They've been through too much with Krell. To the point where they find it hard to trust and respect the Jedi. So you can't just give them a new general to follow after Krell's gone."

"And what makes you think you change their views of the Jedi?" Mace challenged.

"If I can succeed with their absent commander. I can succeed with the rest of them." Aliyah said confidently.

"How did you succeed with Commander Steele?"

"By making him realize he's _not_ expendable."

Behind her, Plo swelled with pride. She's truly come a long way since the day she arrived as a youngling.

Aliyah urged the Council one last time.

"Masters. These clones have been going through hell for too long. Please, let me help them. Let's all help them."

~ O O O ~

Steele woke up feeling a lot better than he did last night. He looked around. Aliyah and Plo weren't present.

"Must be at the Council meeting right now," he reminded himself.

He hoped everything's going ok. More for the sake of his men than himself.

_Ring!_

"Commander Steele? It's me, Plo Koon."

"Come in, general."

The door opened. And in came Plo. Along with Aliyah, Shaak Ti, and two Council members: Obi-Wan and Mace.

Steele stiffened at the sight of the two new Jedi. Plo walked up to him and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"At ease, commander. You're not in trouble."

"Indeed, you're not," Obi-Wan nodded. "I am Obi-Wan Kenobi. This is Mace Windu."

Mace walked up to him. "Hello, Commander Steele. How have you liked life here in Plo Koon's room?"

"It's definitely a step up from the freezer back on Kamino…" Steele answered.

He looked at Aliyah who stood behind Mace and Obi-Wan. She gave him a comforting look. Mace cleared his throat to get his attention.

"Commander, the Council is currently finalizing the decision to remove Pong Krell from your legion." Mace explained. "We need you to come with us."

"What for, sir?" Steele nearly stumbled on his words.

The Council is finalizing the decision to remove General Krell? Is he hallucinating right now? Steele carefully pinched himself to see if he'll wake up.

"No need to do that." Obi-Wan saw the pinch. "You're very much awake. Come now, we should head back."

The group of Jedi escorted Steele out if the room and up to the tower of the Council.

Soon, they walked through the doors of the Council room. And Steele was ushered to the center.

Mace and Obi-Wan sat back down on their seats. While Plo, Shaak Ti, and Aliyah stood by Steele.

All the Jedi Masters made no comments from the moment Steele entered the room. They now know what this clone has been through. And were careful with what they say.

"Commander Steele, found you, at last we have," Yoda began the talk.

Steele nodded. He didn't speak a word. Mace attempted to get him to talk again.

"We all know about your legion's abuse now, commander. And thanks to the efforts of Masters, Plo Koon, Shaak Ti, and Jedi Knight Aliyah Korentayer, we'll be stripping Krell of his title as general of the 304th. If you have anything you wish to add, please say it."

"There's nothing for me to say, generals," Steele said in a tight voice.

Kit could feel the stress coming from the clone. "Are you sure? Because if we're missing anything important—"

"—You've already finalized the decision, haven't you? Then just do it."

The Council didn't need to ask for more. They knew from Steele's quick and to-the-point attitude that he wanted Krell removed as soon as possible.

Yoda cleared his throat. "First, send you, Masters, Windu and Kenobi, to Raxus, we shall. See for our own eyes, what Krell does to you and your men behind the scenes, we must."

"Aliyah, Shaak Ti, and I will be joining as well," Plo revealed to Steele.

 _To Raxus, huh?_ Steele thought about what Krell has been doing to his men while deployed there. His men…they've been waiting so long for this…and for him to come home…

"Generals, if I may request," Steele spoke up.

"What is it, commander?" Yoda asked.

The temperature in the room suddenly dropped.

"Give me five minutes with him. There's some things I need to get off my chest before he's gone for good. Just five minutes—and no interference. Is that ok?"

Yoda thought long and hard before coming to an answer.

"Request granted. But careful you must be, commander. Make more regrets, you should not."

_**Next time on The Clone's Hero, Krell makes the 304th conduct a near-suicidal raid before the Jedi witnesses arrive. As promised, Steele was given five minutes to face his abusive Jedi general one last time. And a good thing too, because Krell is not happy with the aftermath of the raid…** _


	13. Commander returns (Intro pt13)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for being such a supportive and wonderful audience!
> 
> We're on the final stretch at this point. Stay with me. And remember to send ideas for future arcs if you have any!
> 
> See you all next time! :)
> 
> \- MiraLake

**Commander returns**

_**Justice is often overdue** _

"Time to go," Mace commanded the admiral on deck.

The admiral nodded. "Prepare to enter lightspeed."

The clones manning the controls did as the admiral instructed. The flagship entered lightspeed. Its destination: Raxus.

The ship carried the selected group of Jedi witnesses and their respective clone commanders. Mace and Ponds. Obi-Wan and Cody. And Plo and Wolffe.

"I sure hope the Republic forces are still holding up," Obi-Wan said to Plo. "We want to land on Raxus without a fight."

"I'm sure we'll make it through," Plo answered.

Next to him, stood Shaak Ti and Aliyah. The two nodded in agreement.

Mace walked up to the group. "He hasn't said a word since we took off."

He pointed at Steele who was in front of them, at the edge of the bridge. The clone commander was dressed in full-gear as if he's on his way to a battle. He stood with his arms crossed, looking out the window silently.

"He's got a lot to think about right now," Obi-Wan suggested.

"Well, of course. He hasn't seen his general or his men for quite some rotations," Shaak Ti added.

But Mace was concerned. "And yet we're still giving him his five minutes with Krell?"

"He deserves it," Aliyah said. "This is the last time he'll see Krell as his general. Let him do what he needs to do."

Steele could still hear the Jedi behind him. Though he couldn't make out what they're talking about exactly. He knows it's about him.

But it didn't matter. All that he cares about, is seeing his men again. And confronting his general…

"Hang on, boys. I'm on my way."

~ O O O ~

The 304th was nearing the end of their stay on Raxus. They've raided almost all the Separatist warehouses and regained most of the Republic supplies.

"This is the last of it, general," Kal presented the crates of ammunition to Krell.

" _This_ is all you clones got?" Krell gestured to the pile of crates.

The 304th clones silently groaned. It's still not good enough? Despite hauling in more supplies with each raid, their general was never pleased.

Kal didn't know what else to do at this point. "This was all we found inside the warehouse."

"I see." Krell lets out a half-sigh/half-growl. "Come here, CT-7701."

"O—ok, general…"

Kal followed him to a hologram table which displayed a map of the region. Krell pointed at a large building on it.

"I'm going to give you one last chance," Krell announced. "This building holds the stolen blueprints of the Republic's proton-bomb. Our spies reported that the Separatists have not yet created anything with those plans, so if we can take it back now, they never will."

"But sir," Kal looked at the location of the building. "This is within the Separatist Parliament region. The place will be heavily defended."

"Then you'd better step up your game, CT-7701." Krell thrusts a finger at his chest. "Or else I'll replace you with someone who can do better."

The mere thought of another one of his brothers going through what he and Steele went through lit a fire inside Kal. He nodded at Krell.

"We'll launch the attack, general."

~ O O O ~

Later that morning, Kal and his men marched up to the final building with heavy hearts. They knew this would be the last battle of their mission.

But if they weren't careful. This may be the last battle of their lives.

"Commander?" Egad walked up to Kal. "You ok?"

"Yeah. Let's just get this done and over with."

"Let's get this done, with _all_ of us alive." Egad reminded him.

The building soon came into view. The terrain surrounding it was filled with droids and all kinds of lethal artillery.

Kal felt his gut wrench at the sight before them. He gestured for everyone to get into position.

"Not sure if it's possible this time," Kal said ominously.

Egad stifled a gasp. But Kal quickly added to his previous statement, "But we'll sure as hell try! Forward!"

The battalion rushed into battle. The droids immediately opened fire on them. And the clones fired right back.

Kal dodged cannon shots and bombs being thrown left and right. He quickly took cover when he reached the front wave of the droids.

Looking behind him, he could see that his men were already suffering major casualties. It hurt him seeing this. But it needed to be done.

Compass joined Kal behind cover. "Commander, we're being swatted away like bugs! We need to bring out the big guns—"

"—No!" Kal shouted while shooting. "The general made it clear that we're not to destroy the buildings we raid!"

"But if we stick with minimal firepower, we won't even be able to make it to the entrance!"

Vito and several other clones quickly caught up to Kal's position in the front. He also agreed with Compass.

"Commander! We need to focus on the end-goal!"

"The end-goal is getting the blueprint!" Kal yelled.

"Yeah! Does it really matter how we get it?" Vito asked.

Kal looked around him. Landmines were going off. Artillery shots were taking out their walkers. And unlucky clones were getting pelted full of blaster bolts.

_We can't retreat. We can't…otherwise…_

Kal's memories flew to the day Steele lost his sight. And the day Steele nearly got decapitated. Both by courtesy of Krell.

It can't happen again. He will not let something like that happen again.

Kal contacted the men in the back. "Bring out the big guns."

"Are you sure, commander?" The trooper asked on the other end.

"Yes."

At the back of the battlefield, several troopers called the supply runners back at base to bring everything they needed.

"The commander's pulling out all the stops! So hurry it up!"

"Ya' hear? On the double!"

"We're depending on those weapons!"

Until they returned, the clones here defended their current position with ferocity.

Kal and the troopers in front were firing harder than ever. But the droids definitely had the superior firepower.

The clones in front couldn't hold their positions any longer.

"Move back!" Kal commanded.

Just before the droids could break past through, they were taken out by a single cannon shot.

Everyone turned around. The big guns have arrived. Tanks, cannons, rocket launchers, bombs and more were coming in.

The legion started pushing forward again. This time, they had the upper hand.

But Krell was not pleased with this. "CT-7701, I thought I ordered you to use minimal firepower!"

"With all due respect, general," Kal answered between shots. "It's either this or failure!"

Krell took a deep breath. "Listen here, you little—"

But Kal turned off his comm. He was not going to hear whatever Krell was about to call him. Not now. Not anymore.

The clones soon neared the front entrance. The droids rained down blaster bolts from the building's windows and surrounding rocky terrain.

"Take them out!" One clone captain ordered a group of troopers holding rocket launchers.

They aimed at the droids on the sidelines. That was easy and quick to deal with. But the droids on the building were more difficult.

"Commander, should we target the clankers up there?" Compass asked.

Kal assessed at the building before them. Most of the blaster bolts were coming from the central level.

 _That must be where the blueprint is._ He thought.

Kal called for Captain Cleaver. "Captain!"

Cleaver shoots a droid before turning around. "Yes, commander?"

"You're in charge out here from now on. Hold your ground and start firing at the droids up there!" Kal pointed at the building's windows.

"Alright. But where are you going, sir?"

"I'm going to run in and get the blueprints. I have an idea where it's located."

Cleaver's jaw has hit the bottom of his helmet's interior. "By yourself!?"

"No. Of course not. Compass! Egad! Vito!"

The three clones rushed up to Kal. "You called, commander?"

"You're coming with me. We're going inside this blasted place."

They didn't argue with him. Before they were about to run in, Kal issued one more order to Cleaver.

"Captain, don't let the droids compromise our progress. Even if you have to destroy the building."

But Cleaver didn't accept that order immediately. "If it comes to that. Can you guarantee you'll all be out before then?"

Kal took a deep breath. "No. I can't. But I can guarantee you that the blueprint will be out before then."

Compass reloaded his blaster. "Well in that case. _We'll_ guarantee that we'll all be out!"

Cleaver liked that answer. "I can accept that. Good luck!"

Kal and his three clones ran into the building's entrance while everyone else provided cover for them. The clones outside all started targeting the droids that were raining down blaster bolts.

"The stairs are straight ahead!" Vito pointed out.

"Hurry up!" Kal encouraged them.

He led the way up. The four clones fought through the waves of droids that came at them on each level.

It wasn't too bad, to be honest. Most of the droids were focused on the clones outside.

Soon, they reached the floor where most of the droid fire was coming from.

"Hey! You're not supposed to be here!" The droid in command said upon seeing the clones.

Compass shot the droid. "Well, neither is the blueprint!"

The clones quickly took care of the droids on this floor. When that was done, Kal ordered them to search for the blueprint.

"Find the blueprints!" He hollered.

Before long, Egad found a locked safe. "I think they're in here, sir!"

Everyone crowded around him. Kal shot the safe's lock, causing the door to fall open. Inside was a transparent box that contained the blueprint data chip.

"This is it, good job!" Kal praised. He took the box and put it inside his backpack. "Let's get outta here!"

Outside, Cleaver and the remaining clones held their position at the entrance. They were doing a good job until the droids called for reinforcements.

"Captain, what is that?" One trooper asked right before he was engulfed in flames.

"Run back!" Cleaver ordered.

The growing ring of fire pushed the clones back several feet from the entrance. It killed any trooper who touched it. But left the droids unharmed.

Reinforcements came out from the entrance. Along with a large artillery class weapon. That was where the ring of fire came from.

Cleaver immediately called Kal. "Commander! The enemy's introduced some kind of new weapon!"

"Can you take it out?" Kal asked. He and his team were only halfway down the stairs.

"I can try, but it's risky! This thing seems to harm only sentient beings! And there were never any reports about it! Must be an untested prototype!"

"Looks like they're testing it right now."

"Yeah, unfortunately for us!"

Another blast was fired from the new weapon. The blast hit the ground and a ring of fire grew from its impact at unbelievable speeds.

The clones immediately moved back some more. But not before Cleaver ordered the cannons to shoot at the mysterious new weapon.

The shots were a direct hit. But it didn't destroy the weapon. Because it had an astoundingly durable ray-shield. Cleaver called Kal again.

"Commander, that thing's super ray-shielded! We can't stay here any longer!"

Kal clenched his jaw tightly. "Bring the building down."

Cleaver, Vito, Compass, and Egad were shocked. "Commander! But—"

"Do it. It should delay the clankers long enough for you and the rest to leave." Kal commanded. "We'll make it out. Trust us. I've got a team who said they'll guarantee our survival."

"Alright, Commander." Cleaver ended the call.

Kal turned to his team. "So. How are we getting out?"

"With these babies." Compass presented two grappling guns.

Outside, Cleaver readied every single tank and artillery cannon. Making sure they're all pointing at the building's base.

"Bring it down!" He shouted.

They fired.

Inside, the four clones dodged falling debris while running to a window at the edge of their floor. Compass gave one of the grappling guns to Egad.

"Commander, you're with me," Egad said to Kal.

"Get ready to fly." Compass laughed as he aimed for a rocky ledge outside.

Vito grabbed hold of Compass before the latter shot the hook. It latched onto the ledge and the pair swung out the window.

"Hold on tight," Egad said as he shot his grappling gun.

Kal nodded and wrapped both arms around Egad tightly. They also swung out the window.

The building behind them came crashing down. It destroyed most of the droids at the entrance and partially the new weapon.

"Look, it's the commander!" One trooper pointed at the four clones swinging towards them on grappling cables.

They landed on the ground, not too far from the rest of their comrades. Kal never felt so victorious since the day he was chosen to be the substitute commander.

He and the three clones walked up to their brothers. "Good job, men. Good job."

~ O O O ~

The flagship carrying Steele and his Jedi entourage soon made it to the Raxus orbit. There, they encountered the brawl between the planet's garrison and the Republic's fleet.

Mace contacted the admiral in charge. "Admiral, can you hear me?"

"General Windu, you've arrived."

"Yes. We need your help in getting past the planet's defences."

"I can spare some fighters. But may I ask why exactly you want to land? The announcement of your arrival was quite vague."

"I'm afraid I cannot disclose the details."

The admiral sighed. "I'll send out the fighters soon. Be safe on your way down."

"Thank you, admiral."

Just as promised, several starfighters were sent out. The pilots helped clear a path through the Separatist defences and right into Raxus's atmosphere.

"Steele, time to go," Wolffe called.

Steele turned around and nodded. Wolffe was worried about his friend. "Are you sure you still want the five minutes?"

Steele didn't say anything. Only nodding his head in answer to Wolffe's question.

"Alright. Then I won't stop you."

They walked towards the gunships, where everyone else was. Mace double-checked to make sure they were all present.

"Alright, let's get going." He ordered.

The group boarded a gunship and the pilot flew them out. More starfighters accompanied them to defend their way down.

"Ponds and I can do a quick sweep of the perimeter once we land," Cody said to the Jedi.

"It won't take long," Ponds assured.

Obi-Wan thanked the two commanders, then turned to Steele. "Here, take this."

Steele accepted the wristband-like object from Obi-Wan. He inspected it curiously. Obi-Wan could see that he didn't quite know what it was.

"It's a timer set for five minutes. Once time's up, we'll be notified too. You begin the countdown by pressing the button on top. Do it once you reach their base."

Mace looked at Steele. "You get five minutes, commander. Just as promised."

Steele nodded in appreciation. Still not saying a word. The gunship was nearing the ground now.

"Commander," Aliyah addressed Steele. "Be safe."

Finally, he spoke. "Thanks."

~ O O O ~

Kal and his men returned from their final battle not too long ago. They knew what they were in for.

Krell stood in the base's inspection building. It was a large hangar-like place filled with successfully retrieved supplies.

His back was turned to the clones. Kal stepped forward with the box that contained the data chip.

"Here it is, general. The blueprints to the proton bomb. Back in the Republic's hands again."

Krell turned around. He went up to Kal, took the box of his hands, and put it to the side. Then without warning, he Force-pushed Kal and several clones back.

The clones who weren't affected by the push quickly helped their fallen brothers back up. Kal refused their help. He stood up by himself.

But as soon as he did, Krell punched him back down. "Do you enjoy fueling my anger?"

Cleaver has had enough of this. "We brought back the blueprints! That's what matters here! Not the fact that we used heavy firepower in retrieving it! Why can't you see that general?"

"Care to repeat that, CT-5782?"

"That's. What. Matters. Here." Cleaver spat.

Krell grabbed a lightsaber from his belt. But before he could activate it, Compass and Vito grabbed hold of his arms.

"No!" They shouted as they tried to force the lightsaber out of his grasp.

But Krell shook them off. Which led to more clones joining in on restraining him.

"Don't let him activate his lightsabers!" They cried.

It was an absolute brawl. Krell fought each clone who attempted to take him down or remove his lightsabers.

Other clones took out stunners and attempted to shoot at their enraged general. Krell avoided the shots by picking up and using nearby clones as shields.

"This is the end of the line general!" Kal shouted as he attempted to shoot at Krell with a grappling gun.

The hook barely missed the Jedi's shoulder, latching onto a metal pillar behind him. But the other clones could see what their commander was trying to do.

They all took out their grappling guns and began shooting at various angles around Krell. Restricting his area of movement.

"Tie him!" Compass yelled.

Everyone grabbed syntheropes and jumped into their general, tying him down. But Krell's anger has reached its limit.

In the blink of an eye, he Force-pushed all the clones surrounding him back several feet. Some of them hit the base's pillars and fell unconscious.

Krell stood up menacingly, removing the syntheropes from his body. He looked at Kal.

"Can't believe I thought things would be better without CT-3484. He's gone for less than a month and already, you clones are committing mutiny."

Kal glared at his general. "You're the reason why he's gone! As long as you're here. Things will never be better! You took away his sight! You took away his pride and honour! And we're not going to stand for it anymore!"

"Hmph. I'm disappointed in you, CT-7701. And to think you'd be an improvement…"

Taking in a deep breath, Kal said the following words. Even though he's said it before. He'll say it again.

"I'm _not_ Steele."

"No. You're _worse_ than him!"

Krell picked up Kal by the throat, holding him in a vicious Force-choke. Kal clawed at his airway. Trying to breathe. But it was useless.

Several clones attempted to stop Krell, but he simply Force-pushed them away. Kal was beginning to lose consciousness.

Krell walked closer towards the choking clone, hanging in midair. "I should probably kill you for your insubordination. Make you an example to the others."

"I…knew…you'd…say…that…" Kal managed to say before he felt himself drifting off.

"LET GO OF HIM!"

A voice suddenly thundered. Followed by a single blaster shot.

"Ugh!" Krell grunted in pain as a blaster bolt cut through his Force-wielding arm, ending the choke.

Kal fell to the ground, coughing violently. The clones all looked up in shock at the person who just shot their general.

It was someone they haven't seen in a while.

"Commander Steele…"

"It's him. It's really him!"

"He's come back!"

The red armoured clone commander ran into the base. His still-smoking blaster pistol hung from his right hand. He dashed to the fallen Kal and knelt next to him.

"Kal! Are you ok?" Panic and concern filled his voice.

"Commander…?"

Kal couldn't believe his eyes.

Steele nodded in response then stood up. He looked at all the clones of his legion. Taking his time to acknowledge them before issuing an apology.

"Sorry, everyone. I'm late."

Krell hissed in pain from the blaster wound. He slowly rose back up. His eyes fixated on his long-absent clone commander before him.

"Well, this is a sight to behold. Looks like the missing commander finally decides to show up."

"Don't EVER lay a hand on my men again!" Steele roared.

Krell looked at him in dismay. "And it looks like he gained a tongue."

Steele clenched his fists so tightly that his gloves could've ripped. Krell could sense his growing anger.

"So. Where have you been this entire time, CT-3484?"

" _Don't_. Call me that."

Krell walked closer. "Oh? You leave for a couple of rotations and return thinking that you have the authority to defy me!?"

"KRIFF YOU!"

The entire 304th was speechless. Krell did have a point though. When—or where—did Steele get the courage to stand up to him?

Krell's amusement and shock turned to rage. His voice became deadly.

"What did you just say?"

"You're nothing but a MONSTER!" Steele was just as—if not more—enraged as Krell. "A poor excuse of a general who hides behind his clones while they fight all his battles! That's what you are! Take away the Force and your lightsabers and that's what you are! Oh, 'great Master Jedi!'"

If looks could kill. Steele would be dead right where he stood. But so would Krell.

The Besalisk Jedi rubbed his arm where the blaster wound was. His eyes flashed threateningly.

"Would you like to see if you're right?"

Steele pressed the button on his wristband timer. The countdown began.

"All I need is five minutes."

_**Next time on The Clone's Hero, Krell engages Steele in a fight without using the Force or lightsabers. And Steele finally releases all the pent up feelings of hatred towards his general…** _


	14. The fight (Intro pt14)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N. Welcome to the penultimate (maybe) chapter of this story!
> 
> This chapter has probably gone through the most revisions and rewrites. So I hope it's well-received!
> 
> Just a heads up! Next chapter (which may or may not be the final one) will take longer to be released!
> 
> I need some time to rest and tie loose ends. Not to mention plan for the future of this story.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoyed! Remember to leave kudos and comments if you did!
> 
> See you all next time! :)
> 
> \- MiraLake

**The fight**

_**Emotions pent up for too long will one day explode dangerously** _

Krell removed both lightsabers from his belt and moved it to a nearby table with the Force. He faced Steele.

"Alright, commander. You got your wish. No Force. No lightsabers. Just the two of us."

Steele only glared at him. He gestured for Compass and Egad to come up and take Kal.

"Treat his injuries." He told them.

"Commander." Egad pleaded. "We're not going to just stand and watch again."

"You all did so much during my absence. It's time I return the favour."

Reluctantly, Egad and Compass took Kal to the sidelines while Krell and Steele began circling each other. Steele addressed the rest of his legion.

"Everyone else. Stay back!"

Krell laughed. "Are you sure now is the time to worry about your men?"

He lunged forward to land in the first strike. Steele quickly brought his arms up to block it. But was still pushed back a good distance.

Even without the Force and having an injured arm, Krell was pretty damn strong.

Steele shook his arms, which tingled a bit from the hit. He looked at his general. "You know, there was one good thing about all those beatings!"

Krell attempted to land in another hit, but Steele managed to successfully dodge it this time. He removed his blaster pistols from its holsters and threw them to the side.

Now he's weaponless as well.

Steele dodged some more punches and kicks. Now that he knows Krell will be removed as their general, he won't just sit there and take it.

After being on the defence for a while, Steele launches his first counterattack. He grabbed Krell's incoming fist and twisted it backwards. Pushing him back.

"All those beatings…they familiarized me with your attacks!"

"Oh, did they?" Krell growled.

He picked up a nearby crate and hurled it towards Steele at breakneck speed. Steele quickly moved out of the way. But as he did, Krell caught him.

And thus commenced an endless wave of attacks. He will not let his commander think for a second that he can stand up to him.

Krell punched Steele in the gut. Then in the neck. Then kicked him in the shin, knocking him off his feet. And with every hit, Krell yelled an insult.

"Is this what you hoped for by returning? Huh?" He kicked Steele in the rib cage.

"You've gotten rusty!" He knocked Steele back some more.

"A far cry from what 'good soldiers' are supposed to be!" He stomped on Steele's back.

Finally, Krell picked Steele up and threw him at the central support pillar. Steele landed with such force that his helmet flew off.

Krell rushed up to Steele and pinned him down. He wrapped one hand around his face and squeezed tightly, trying to break his goggles.

Panic surged through Steele's body when he saw a small crack form on his goggles' lens. Krell kept squeezing.

"Looks like I was right about Korentayer. That little girl made you weak!"

Suddenly, Krell felt a sharp pain on his palm. "Ah!"

Steele has sunk his teeth into Krell's hand. Hard. The Besalisk Jedi grunted as he ripped himself out Steele's bite.

"You lowlife!"

Before Krell could recuperate himself, Steele picked up his helmet and swung it at him. The visor barely scratched his face.

"That 'little girl' has been a better general to us than you have since the day we met!"

Krell gingerly touched the part of his face that was grazed by the helmet. While Steele continued to yell in the background.

"She's far more deserving of being a general _and_ a Jedi than you. Krell."

Hearing his own commander call him by his name instead of title made Krell nearly lose it.

He leapt high into the air to deliver a crushing blow on Steele. The clone commander quickly rolled away. But he wasn't ready for the next move.

Krell nearly knocked him over with a swift kick. Then grabbed hold of Steele's arm. His grip was tight and unforgiving. But this time, _he_ was the one who wasn't prepared for the next move.

Steele broke free of Krell's grip by depressing his arm plate's gription panel, separating it from his bodysuit. He then jabbed the sharp end of the plate into Krell's blaster wound.

Krell howled in pain. He swore under his breath before forcefully removing the arm plate from Steele's hands and throwing it away.

He attempted to grab Steele again. But Steele just tore another piece of his armour off and used it as a weapon. Defending himself fiercely with it.

The fight continued. And more armour pieces came off as it went on.

Elbow guard. Shoulder plate. Forearm plate. Knee guard. Even his kama.

Bit by bit, Steele's armour coverage decreased.

From the sidelines, the clones of the 304th circled the two. They cheered their commander on.

"Give him hell!"

"Don't hold back!"

"Show him how it feels!"

With each swipe at him Steele makes, Krell grew more tired. When he started the fight, he thought he could quickly overpower Steele right from the beginning.

But it looked like he underestimated the endurance and pain tolerance of his commander.

Souvenirs from leading and surviving countless frontal assaults. Without rest. Without retreat.

Krell removed the thrown kama, which partially obstructed his sight, and threw it right back at Steele.

He was covered in scratch marks from where Steele's armour grazed him. Fatigue and pain were beginning to surface. Perhaps it was time to take things up a notch.

"Alright. Playtime is over."

Krell picked up a piece of scrap metal and broke off the tip. Moulding it into a makeshift dagger.

Steele flinched upon seeing the newly-made weapon. Krell relished in that look. "What? It's not a lightsaber now is it?"

He charged towards his commander with the dagger. Steele barely dodged that. The blade sliced his unarmoured forearm. His blood blended with the armour color.

Krell was relentless in his attacks. The dagger seemed like it was flying the way Krell wielded it. Steele felt his survival instincts peak with every dodge.

He could feel the breeze of the knife whizzing past his head and the separation lines of his armour. One wrong move could mean his death.

Suddenly, Steele's vision went dark.

His goggles had turned off. Then they turned back on a second later. Steele panicked.

 _Blast it! Krell must've damaged some internal mechanism when he tried to break it!_ He thought.

That brief second of blindness allowed Krell to drive his dagger towards Steele's throat. Luckily, Steele managed to catch Krell's hands before it could cut his skin.

The clone struggled and grunted as he tried to push the pointed end away from him. Krell put all four hands on the dagger's handle, pushing it forward with all his might.

That was a mistake.

Steele suddenly redirected the dagger downwards diagonally, causing Krell to nearly tumble into him. He seized this moment to gain the upper hand.

Clenching his teeth, Steele drove the top of his head into Krell's jaw, stunning him. He followed up by spitting at his face. And finished off by thrusting his fingers directly into Krell's eyes.

Pain struck Krell like lightning.

"Ahhh!"

He brings up one hand to cover his eyes as he stumbles backwards. Dropping his dagger as he did.

Despite his goggles flickering on and off, Steele didn't let this chance go to waste. He body-slams into his general, knocking him into the table where his lightsabers were.

The table flipped over, knocking some crates behind it down. And the lightsabers rolled onto the ground. Along with some grappling guns.

Steele picks up one of the grappling guns and shoots Krell in the right knee. Then he picks up another for the left knee. The hooks pierced the Besalisk's skin with a sickening ' _squish'_.

Krell fell to the ground. Finally. He was down.

Picking up a nearby crate lid, Steele jumps on top of Krell and thrusts the thin metal edge into his general's eyes.

The clone commander cried out loudly each time he brought the lid down. Again and again and again…

"Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Why won't you just die already!?"

Adrenaline pumped through his veins. Each thrust was harsher and more violent than the last.

At this point, Steele was beginning to lose himself in anger.

The clones watching could see that. Some of them encouraged their commander to keep going. While others tried to calm him down.

"Commander, I think he's had enough!"

"No! It's never enough! And it never will be!"

"You're gonna get court-martialed! The general's the one who needs to answer for his actions! Not you! Remember that!"

"He took away your sight! And took away too many of our brothers! He doesn't deserve to live!"

After about a solid minute or two of being subdued, Krell finally knocked Steele off of him.

Steele landed on his knees not too far away. He was surprised to see Krell not getting up to continue the fight.

Instead, the general laid on the ground, somewhat amused by his current situation. He looked at Steele through swollen and bloodshot eyes.

"Heh…look at you now commander…finally in a position of power…"

"Shut up." Steele got to his feet.

But that only fed Krell's amusement. He swore under his breath as he removed the grappling hooks from his knees. Glaring at Steele while he did.

"So how does it feel?"

"Stop talking."

"It's a nice feeling isn't it?"

"I'm warning you."

Krell let out a low chuckle that turned into a cough. "There it is. The anger that's been pent up for so long. I knew you'd crack eventually. Interesting that it had to be today. 'Cause if it was a little later…CT-7701 would've been dead already."

That did it. Steele never felt so much fury all his life. At that moment, only two things remained in his field of vision:

Krell.

And a nearby lightsaber—Krell's lightsaber.

The next couple of events played out in slow motion for the clones of the 304th. Steele dashed to the lightsaber and picked it up. Then he ran over to Krell.

As soon as he was directly in front of the fallen Jedi general, Steele turned on one end of the weapon and raised it over his head.

He let out an almighty yet painful cry as he prepared to drive the plasma blade into Krell's chest.

"Aaahhh!"

For the first time ever, Krell felt the aura. The aura of someone intent on killing him. He squeezed his eyes shut, preparing for the life-ending blow.

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

The alarm of Steele's wristband-timer went off. Five minutes was up.

But the beep was barely audible above the entire 304th shouting for Steele's attention. Joined by several other voices.

"COMMANDER!"

Suddenly, Steele was pulled back with the Force. And disarmed of Krell's lightsaber. Before being restrained by Wolffe, Ponds, and Cody. He struggled against their hold.

"Nooo! Let go of me! You bastards, let go of me!"

"Steele, stop! You'll receive a fate worse than his!" Wolffe tried to calm him down.

"He's right!" Ponds added. "You'll be sentenced to death by firing squad! Trust me it's not worth it!"

Mace caught Krell's lightsaber. He was the one who pulled Steele back and removed the weapon from his hands. He and the rest of the Jedi witnesses rushed in.

All of them were pale from what they just witnessed.

"Enough commander!" Mace ordered. "Don't kill him out of hatred!"

But Steele refused to listen. "Don't speak to me like I'm a Jedi!"

"He'll get his punishment, I can assure you!" Obi-Wan reasoned with him.

Mace nodded. "He'll be severely counselled. Answering for his actions against you and your men. And once we believe he's been reformed, we'll release him."

"No!" Steele screamed. "He tried to kill Kal! And me! And all of my men!"

"Commander, calm yourself!"

"He's gotten too many of us killed for too long! He'll just end up killing more clones once he's out! I _know_ he will! So let me finish him right here and now!"

In the blink of an eye, Steele broke free and reached for Krell's second lightsaber. Once again, he activated it and tried to drive it into Krell. And once again, he was stopped by Mace and the three commanders.

The rest of the Jedi rushed up to the restrained clone commander. All of them were trying to calm him down.

"Steele, it's over now," Plo assured. He gently told the three commanders to release him. They did as ordered. "There's no need for bloodshed."

Shaak Ti knelt down. "Stop fighting. Let it go."

Steele's rage-filled heavy breathing gradually died down. All the anger, the hatred...it broke inside him. And slowly, he stood up again.

Behind them, Krell was helped into a sitting stance by a disgusted Ponds and Wolffe. "Looks like you didn't come alone, CT-3484."

"Shut your mouth, Krell," Aliyah snapped.

"Oh. So _you_ came too."

"You're in no position to make remarks like that," Obi-Wan scolded. "Especially after the 'interesting' display we just saw."

"Hmph. You mean nearly getting killed by my own commander?"

"I mean nearly getting killed by your own commander after physically harming your own men _and_ nearly Force-choking your replacement commander to death."

"You have proof?"

Obi-Wan turned to his own commander. "Cody?"

"Yes, sir." Cody presented a hologram recording. "We've got footage of the entire fight. From the moment Commander Steele shot you in the arm to save Sergeant Kal. It's futile to argue now, general."

"You'll be away from the battlefield for quite some time," Obi-Wan added.

Wolffe and Ponds helped Krell up. The 304th clones all shot death glares at him. They didn't like the fact that Krell won't be locked up for good.

"This is hardly fair!" Compass said out loud. "He's just going to be away from some time? After all he's done to us? Why not just execute him? It's not like he's going to change or anything!"

"Exactly," Egad agreed. "There's people who can be redeemed. And then there's our general."

The Jedi all looked at each other. Did the 304th really hate Krell this much? The only way for them to have this level of hatred is if Krell hated them just as equally.

"Krell." Aliyah walked towards him. "Why do you hate your clones so much?"

"Tch. Is it really that unobvious?"

"Just answer the question." She narrowed her eyes. "Be grateful I'm even bothering to ask."

Krell huffed in annoyance. But he answered the question nonetheless.

"It's already bad enough that I'm leading an army of lab-bred creatures. But the Kaminoans just had to add salt on the wound by giving me a failed product for a commander!"

"'Failed product?'" Aliyah repeated.

She turned to Steele, who was looking away from her. His fists curled and uncurled repeatedly.

_The Clone Wars have begun. And all the Jedi, from Knights to Masters, were assigned clone divisions to lead against the Separatist droid army._

_Krell looked over the summary of his assigned legion. The 304th legion._

" _Clone commander: CC-3484…was originally bred to be a Republic commando but then met with complications during development which led to changes…"_

_Krell didn't read any further than that. He threw away the holotablet. And immediately boarded the next ship to Kamino._

_As soon as he arrived. He went straight up to Lama Su._

" _What's the meaning of this? Why do I get a failed clone for a commander?"_

" _A failed 'Republic commando,'" Lama Su corrected. "And I assure you, he's just as good as the other clones bred to be legion commanders."_

" _I will not accept this."_

_Lama Su held his head. "Sigh. You need to understand, we just lost our primary donor who's also our clone template. You can thank Master Windu for that. We're currently looking for ways to efficiently breed more clones with Jango Fett's remaining DNA."_

" _So until then, you're giving out failed batches as commanders of entire legions and corps? Do you want the Republic to win or not?"_

" _He's not your average 'failed batch'. This one was meant to be an RC, a genetically-enhanced soldier. Heavily trained in both strategic planning and combat. Was capable of independent-thinking necessary for all commandos, but…when it came to the mission or saving lives. 83% of the time in simulations, he'd go with the latter choice."_

_Lama Su saw that Krell wasn't convinced yet, so he continued speaking._

" _RCs need to prioritize the Republic above all else. And though commanders are required of that too, they also need to keep troop morale high."_

_"And he's capable of that?" Krell asked._

_"And of much more. All clones can adapt to given a certain environment. And they'll continue to develop out there in the field of battle."_

_"In other words, I'm able to turn him into a commander of my preference?"_

_Lama Su shrugged. "You can try."_

_That was enough for Krell to keep him. Though he was still upset about receiving a failure in the first place, he also knew that this is a war. And he needs to fight with the cards he was dealt with._

_The day of his first mission with the 304th came up. He presented himself to the clones of his legion._

" _I am General Krell. You're to call me that, 'general', or 'sir'. Got it?"_

_All the clones saluted. "Yes, sir!"_

_Krell turned to the clone at the front. The one wearing more decorated armour. "And you? You're to be my clone commander, is that right?"_

_Steele stepped forward. "Yes. It is an honour to work with you, General Krell."_

" _What's your designation number?"_

" _CC-3484, sir."_

_Krell shook his head. "That's a prefix for clone commanders."_

" _General, I am a clone commander. Your clone commander." Steele was visibly confused._

" _In name only." Krell stood intimidatingly before him. "Until you prove to me you deserve that title, your designation will be C_ _ **T**_ _-3484. Understand?"_

" _...Yes, general."_

_And since then, Krell worked the 304th hard. Especially their commander. Always expecting absolute victory for every mission they went on. No matter the casualty numbers._

_And no matter the cruelty._

"So that's why you always pushed them so hard?" Aliyah's voice became soft. Angry, but soft. "He's not a failure. None of them are."

"Yes. I see that now." Krell answered. To everyone's shock.

Steele looked back to his general. They made eye contact. And Krell said his final words to his commander.

"CT…no, C _C-_ 3484\. Looks like you finally proved to me that you deserve the title of commander. Heh."

"Don't." Steele whispered dangerously.

No more words were exchanged between the two as Krell was cuffed by Wolffe and Ponds. But he had some words for Aliyah.

"This was your plan wasn't it? I hope you're glad. It's all worked out. But now these clones have no leader! No more purpose in this war!"

Plo gestured to Wolffe and Ponds. "Take him away."

"Yes, sir. Come on." The two clones led Krell to the back of the base.

As soon as he was out of sight, the entire 304th legion removed their helmets. They all looked like they've finally escaped a torture cell.

From the deadpan eyes, to the shaking fists, and the occasional curses at Krell. Their auras practically screamed 'I will never forgive you'.

Some of them aided in cleaning up the mess from the fight. And others helped Steele pick up pieces of his armour.

But the majority were still frozen in place. Not believing that Krell's reign of terror over them has come to an end.

"Is this…over?" One trooper asked, almost begged.

Aliyah turned around to the lot of them. And nodded. "Yes. It's over."

The same trooper fell to his knees. Along with several of his comrades. They were all overwhelmed with emotions.

"It's finally over!"

"I didn't think I'd live to see this day!"

"But still…we lost too many good soldiers to get here…"

Kal was finished being patched up by the medics. Though his throat still hurts, he joined in the talking.

"What will happen to us now?"

"What do you think?" Compass answered. "We'll be thrown back into the field. It's a war after all."

"Great." Egad shook his head. "Another general to serve…"

"No. Another general to serve…who _won't_ be treating you as cannon fodder!" Aliyah announced.

The entire legion turned their attention to her. They wanted to know what she's talking about.

"I make that promise you. As the new general of the 304th."

And just like that. All the terror of what was waiting in their future faded away.

The clones were speechless. They've just gone from one end of the spectrum to the other in five-ish minutes.

"Is this true?" Kal croaked.

Aliyah took her time before answering. "True."

The entire base was silent.

Then Steele broke the silence by taking a single step. Then another. And another. His armour was mostly patched up. Just like his mental state.

_Why is it always you…?_

He kept walking. Fixing and adjusting his armour as he did.

_Blocking Krell's lightsaber…taking me out of the freezer…being there for my men when I couldn't…_

He crossed the centre of the base. And it became clear where his destination was. Or rather who it was.

_And that night when I told you the truth of losing my sight…you were the first one outside the legion to know…_

Everyone could see now. Steele was on a one-way path to his new general. He reached out to her.

_When did you become this important to me…?_

Without hesitation, Steele pulled Aliyah in for a tight embrace. For a split second, she was surprised. But then she quickly returned the hug. This was long overdue.

All the pain, sadness, and frustration flowed free. As did Steele's tears.

_Thank you for removing him from our lives…thank you for being my friend…thank you. Thank you. Thank you._

"Thank you." He cried.

_**Next time on The Clone's Hero, the Jedi Council deals with Krell's actions and abuse to his former legion. While the 304th adjust to their new general…** _


	15. The 304th (Intro pt15)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the final chapter of the first arc! From here on out, I will be planning and making arcs based on your preferences. (At least I'll try)
> 
> It's been an amazing journey with all of you! I think I'm getting a little emotional...
> 
> Thank you all for reading this story! I hope you'll keep reading, or better yet, contribute to this story's future!
> 
> It's been a pleasure writing for all of you!
> 
> And of course, I hope to see you all next time! :)
> 
> \- MiraLake
> 
> * (I haven't finished watching The Clone Wars S7. What about you guys? And what do you think of the final season?)

**The 304th**

_**Even the darkest nightmares fade, once morning comes** _

"LET GO OF HIM!" The hologram Steele cried.

The entire Jedi Council was gathered for a meeting. They just watched the entire hologram recording of Krell's fight with Steele. Now, they were replaying significant events.

"Pause it there," Yoda commanded Obi-Wan, who was controlling the player.

The footage stopped. And the entire Council could see a hologram of Krell holding Kal in a Force-choke. Headshakes and mutters came from the Masters.

"Fast forward," Yoda said.

Obi-Wan sped through the footage until Yoda told him to pause again. This time, they were looking at Steele holding Krell's lightsaber. Ready to kill him with it.

Once again, all the Masters expressed shock and disgust.

Yoda never felt so much disappointment. "That is enough. Thank you, Master Kenobi."

Obi-Wan turned the hologram player off. The place brightened and all the Masters turned their attention to Krell. He stood in the centre of the room.

"Why, Krell?" Mace Windu asked. "Why harm your own men?"

Krell answered in a calm tone. "Because I let my desire for victory blind me. It's wrong and I know that now. Forgive me, Masters."

"Victory can be blinding, especially in war times. But it's still no excuse." Oppo Rancisis stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"Agreed." Kit Fisto sat forward. "I understand that war is hard. And maybe I could accept that. But blinding your own commander? That's just cruel!"

"It's beyond cruel," Even Piell supported.

"That is something I'll never forgive myself for," Krell said monotonously.

"Tell that to Steele," Shaak Ti retorted. Her voice was icy and sarcastic. "I'm sure he'll accept your apology."

Yoda tapped his cane on the floor to get everyone's attention. "Afraid the Jedi would come to this, I was. But since it has happened. A viable punishment, we must give."

"If it were up to me, I'd have expelled you from the Order." Plo Koon confessed. "But fortunately for you, it's not."

"The Council believes in second chances," Mace explained. "Which is why we're going to try and reform you. Until then, you have no right to command clones as a general. Nor will you return your old legion once released."

"Taken over your role as general of the 304th, Aliyah Korentayer has," Yoda confirmed.

Krell held back a scoff. "You believe she can deliver better results?"

"We believe she can prevent an uprising amongst your clones," Mace corrected. "As we all saw from the hologram, they can only be pushed so far before they started fighting back. Your commander's proof of that."

Everyone in the Council agreed. And soon, Krell was taken away to a facility for Jedi who had almost gone rogue.

The Masters left one by one. Only a couple remained to continue talking. They were all relieved that this problem was finally solved.

After all, the last thing they wanted was the clones turning against the Jedi.

If Krell was left undealt with. Eventually, the entire army would've heard about the 304th's suffering.

This would've led to dissension. Clones would've questioned why they're fighting for a government who's always been so indifferent towards them. And before long, a mass-desertion would take place.

Or worse. A mass-mutiny.

"Which is why we mustn't let word of what Krell's done leak outside," Mace announced.

"The Senate already knows what he does," Plo countered.

"The Senate doesn't know the whole story," Mace pressed. "And neither will the army nor the public. I will ensure absolute silence from my commander. You and Kenobi should do the same."

Obi-Wan voiced his thoughts. "We should at least let them know they can confide in us. Don't let them think that we're just denying those events even happened."

~ O O O ~

The remaining Council members soon left the room. Obi-Wan bumped into Anakin on his way to the hangar.

"So, Master?" Anakin asked in an upbeat attitude. "Another boring Council meeting?"

"Oh, this one was far from boring. I think you would've enjoyed this one very much."

"Really? What happened?"

"I'm afraid that it was so not boring that it's confidential only to Council members."

Anakin crossed his arms. "That bad, huh?"

"Worse." Obi-Wan paused for a second. "Anakin, have you ever seen a clone lose it?"

'"Lose it?' Like, lose his mind? Well, if you don't count that traitor, Slick, then no. Why ask? Does this have to do with the meeting?"

"This has to do with the way we lead our clones," Obi-Wan explained. "You're known to always charge headfirst into battle."

"Nothing wrong with that. Especially when all of my men seem to enjoy the action as much as I do. Rex most of all." Anakin laughed a little.

They were nearing the hangar. Obi-Wan faced Anakin with a serious expression. "Make sure they know that you value their lives."

"Well, of course, I do!"

"And make sure they know they're allowed to disagree if they think you're going too far."

Anakin sighed. "Yes, Master. You don't need to look out for me every second on the battlefield."

"Anakin, I'm serious." Obi-Wan lowered his voice. "I witnessed what happens when a clone is mistreated for too long."

Obi-Wan pulled Anakin closer and whispered. "He nearly killed his own general."

Anakin was silent. From Obi-Wan's look, he knew that this was something he's not allowed to question more about. Most likely something related to that Council meeting.

It must be important if Obi-Wan's willing to break confidentiality with him.

"I understand, Master."

~ O O O ~

Inside a Republic flagship, Wolffe rewatched the fight video for what seemed like the 50th time. He wasn't alone though. Ponds and Cody sat with him. They were just as mesmerized by the recording as he was.

After one more rewatch, Cody decides to finally put it away. "He damn near killed him."

"I know. It's like something inside him snapped." Wolfe remarked.

Cody nodded. "Never knew how powerful anger could be. Dunno if I should feel amazed or terrified."

"Is it wrong to feel both?" Ponds asked.

"No," Wolffe shook his head. "But is it wrong to feel like we should've let him kill him?"

"Hush!" Cody scolded sharply. "Don't let the wrong ears hear that. Especially after our generals just told us to keep this confidential."

Wolffe sighed. "It's been bothering me for so long. Has it not for you?"

"...I never knew Krell before going to Raxus," Cody said slowly. "But what I saw there was more than enough for me to judge. Gave me an idea of what Steele and his legion were going through."

"So you think we did the right thing by holding Steele back?" Wolffe repeated.

"Yes." Cody didn't budge from his opinion. "He would've been executed for murdering his superior officer. If anything, I was hoping that the Council sentenced Krell to death and let Steele be the one to pull the trigger."

Ponds stood up. "Even so, it wouldn't restore his sight! _Sigh_ , I can't even begin to imagine what those boys feel. Knowing that their nightmare of a general is still walking about."

"Hopefully, the Council will never let him lead again," Cody said.

He and Wolffe stood up as well. They left the room. Outside, Wolffe caught sight of a red-armoured clone turning the corner. An epiphany hits him.

"I think I finally know why his entire legion wears red."

"Why?" Cody asked.

"Red covers up blood. Covers up signs of abuse."

~ O O O ~

Palpatine was meeting with Mace and Yoda. They just told him of Krell's removal and replacement.

"Excellent." Palpatine put his hands together. "So I trust that this mess is behind us?"

"Yes," Mace answered confidently.

"Then I can also trust that the hacking base will finally be dealt with?"

The Mustafar hacking base!

With everything that's happened over the last couple of rotations. The Council completely forgot about that.

"We'll deal with the hacking base, Chancellor." Mace quickly answered.

"Well in that case, why don't you send Young Korentayer and her newly earned legion?" Palpatine suggested.

Both Yoda and Mace were caught off-guard. Mace protested. "Chancellor, with all due respect. She's never led those men before."

"Yes, but those men were there once. Mustafar isn't forgiving to first-timers, so I feel better sending in troops who already experienced it." Palpatine turned around to his giant window. "Not to mention, it's a good chance for her to prove herself as a worthy choice. Or should I say, _your_ worthy choice."

Yoda stopped Mace from arguing further. "Send her, we will."

The two Jedi Masters left the Chancellor after that. Once they were out of the office, Mace asked Yoda why he agreed with Palpatine.

"Master Yoda, she's not ready."

Yoda explained himself. "On Mustafar, the 304th suffered a crushing defeat. It brought upon their former general's wrath. But now, they shall return. With a new general. Thus go through a new experience."

~ O O O ~

The 304th gathered for their debriefing. It was their first one since Krell was removed. They couldn't stop wondering about what would happen.

Finally, their new general entered the room. Everyone stood straight with respect. Steele went up to her.

"What's the mission, general?"

_'General…' Suddenly, it felt strange calling her that. Even though he's done it plenty of times before._

Aliyah turned on the hologram map. "We're going to take the Separatist hacking base."

Memories of their first time there flashed through all the clones' eyes. They weren't over that yet.

"I know it's your second time going there," Aliyah raised her voice. "But that means you're all familiar with the enemy and their tactics. So if you have an idea for a plan of attack, please tell me."

That's when the clones realized. Their new general is a complete foil to their previous one. It's a welcoming change, but still a change. They'll have to get used to her.

After a couple seconds of silence, one trooper spoke. "Last time we tried to charge in through the front door. The enemy blew up the bridge, disrupting our formation and causing panic."

Aliyah nodded. "I see. They used the environment to their advantage. If the droids couldn't kill you then falling into lava would."

"It's a dangerous place to fight in. There's not a lot of options other than straight up going in." Another trooper added.

"Maybe not," Vito zoomed the map to focus on the main building. "There's an emergency exit right there on the pillar. Think it can be of any use?"

"Infiltration?" Aliyah asked.

Vito nodded. "Uh-huh."

Steele agreed. "That's actually something Krell thought of."

Everyone in the room flinched and Steele quickly apologized for bringing up the name. "Sorry, just crossed my mind. But basically, the plan was to have a team infiltrate the building via that exit. But to distract the enemy from noticing them, the rest of us were to act as bait. I opposed the plan when I found out I would be put in the back of the battle."

"Typical Krell," Compass muttered. "Always willing to put our lives on the line but never his."

"Still, the infiltration idea isn't too bad." Aliyah was deep in thought. "All Mustafar facilities have a safety system. If a team of our men can sneak in and turn the safety on for the bridges outside, we can get across safely. Steele."

"Yes, general?"

"Who's the master of infiltration here?"

Without hesitation, Steele answered. "That'd be Kal."

Aliyah gestured for the sergeant to step forward. "Can you round up a team of six men for infiltrating the building?"

Kal nodded. "Yes, general!"

"Alright, then I have a plan." Aliyah zoomed the map back out.

Egad was still a little concerned about the rest of the men. "We're not going to act as bait, are we?"

Aliyah shook her head. "Not bait. We're going to be a perfectly timed distraction."

But everyone was unconvinced. Seeing that, Aliyah asked, "Krell always came in from the rear, right?"

"Mm. He never fought unless absolutely necessary," Steele answered.

"Then it's time for a change. Don't you think?"

~ O O O ~

Krell sat in his designated room. Though it felt more like a cell. Starting tomorrow, his 'reformation' process will begin.

He looked out the transparent floor-to-ceiling barrier, where a small hall was. Suddenly, Master Plo Koon appeared and walked up to the barrier.

He was accompanied by Wolffe. They stopped in front of the barrier separating them from Krell.

"How nice of you to pay me a visit, Master." Krell started the conversation.

"Thought it'd be good seeing you before your reformation. So I can compare to what you become once released. And see if there's any improvement."

"Is that so?" Krell slowly stood up. "Well, don't expect too much."

"You're given a second chance. Is it wise for you to waste it?"

"Maybe it is. Maybe it isn't. Maybe the Council should just divert their attention to the war efforts. Instead of wasting time with me."

Wolffe didn't like the way he answered. "Why are you acting like we're your enemies? Whose side are you on?"

"That is an excellent question. Especially since it's coming from a clone."

Plo didn't need to calm Wolffe down. He trusted his commander to keep his cool. But he won't allow Krell to get off so easily.

"You're here because the Council decided to give justice to a clone. Your clone. Obviously, they saw something of value in Steele more than you did."

That made Krell visibly upset. "Value in him? They feared him! After seeing him go berserk in that footage, they were afraid more clones would follow his example! And perhaps they would, someday…heh. Someday, all of these 'loyal soldiers' may turn against us! Mark my words, Master Plo Koon. She saved his life. **But he will end hers**."

Tension filled the air. Plo didn't say anything, just stared at Krell. Almost like he felt sorry for him. Because maybe he did.

"If you have something to say, Krell. Then just say it. Whatever it is that you fear, if it concerns the future of the Jedi, it's your responsibility to share. But it's already obvious to me that you don't have the heart to do so. That's what separates you from her. I pity you, Krell. I truly do."

~ O O O ~

The day of the Mustafar mission. The fleet carrying the 304th arrived at the Planet's orbit. Everyone knew the plan. But that didn't make it any less terrifying than the last time they were here.

After one final review of the plan and checking with the infiltration team—who was already on the Planet's surface—everyone boarded the gunships.

The gunships were released into the hot volcanic atmosphere. Steele held onto the overhead strap tightly. This whole ordeal felt familiar to the previous failed mission.

But this time, their general was inside the gunships with them. She was going to fight too. Aliyah contacted the infiltration team again.

"Kal? How are we looking down there?"

"We're at the emergency exit, general. The enemy's only focused on you. We're ready to go in as soon as you land."

"Good. If everything's calculated correctly, we'll be at the bridges right after you turn the safety on."

"Good luck, general. See you all inside."

The gunships were nearing land. Aliyah could sense the anxiety coming from the men behind her. She decides to give some quick words of encouragement.

"You boys never fought beside a Jedi, have you?"

They shook their heads in response.

"Well, the rules are easy. Everyone, stay behind me unless I say otherwise. Commander. Stay next to me."

Well, that was unexpected. "Yes, general."

Cannon shots came flying at them from the enemy's side. Thankfully, they were already near the ground so didn't have to dodge around much.

All of the troopers counted the seconds before their gunships finally landed.

_5…4…3…2…1…_

The gunships touched the ground. And the doors opened. Aliyah's lightsaber activated as soon as it did.

"Forward!" She shouted while dashing into battle.

"Begin the operation!" Kal instructed his team at the same time. They entered the building.

At the landing zone, the troopers rushed out of their gunships and started firing at the incoming droids. But this time, retreat wasn't on their minds.

Watching their new general deflecting blaster bolts left and right, Force-pushing any droid that got a little close to them, raised their morale.

"Amazing." One of the troopers remarked.

"So that's the kind of Jedi the other divisions have been working with." His comrade added.

"Maybe for once, we'll know what's it like to serve with pride!" Cleaver turned around to say.

In the front, Steele kept a good eye on the entirety of the battle while also keeping an eye on his general. So far so good, the enemy was only concerned with them.

"Kal and his men shouldn't have a problem reaching the control rooms." He said to Aliyah.

"Great. With the way we landed, we have the droids surrounded on all sides. They'll be forced to return to the building. And this time, we can follow them inside safely."

Inside the building, Kal and his team fought through the droids on guard-duty. It was quick and easy work.

Vito took out the last droid in the current room. "Can't believe I was so scared coming back here."

"Job's not finished yet." Kal reminded as he reviewed a map of the building. "Control room's still aways ahead."

"Then let's keep moving! Can't let the others reach the bridge before it's safe!" Compass shouted while running forward.

"Agreed." Egad joined his friend. "But from the looks of it outside, they shouldn't have too much trouble."

Outside, the battle was going smoothly. The droids were being pushed back towards the base building. Aliyah and the frontline troopers helped clear a path straight to the bridges.

Steele kept tabs on his general, his men, the enemy, and everything in between. They cannot afford surprises. Not when they're so close.

Inside, everything was going just as smoothly. The infiltration team took out all the droids in their way. And finally cleared the control room. Now they were in charge here.

"Turn on the safety for the main bridge," Kal commanded. "Then do the same for the side ones. And keep an eye on anything unusual that pops up on the scanners."

The troopers finally reached the bridges, all the remaining droids were backed up onto it. Steele called Kal this time.

"The safety! Is it on?" He asked loudly.

"Yes! Get across! Get across, now!" Kal confirmed.

Aliyah turned around to Steele for an answer. He gives her a quick nod. And immediately, everyone was charging onto the bridges.

At another room inside the building, the Separatist general in charge demanded to know why the bridges aren't blowing up.

"Tell the ones at the control room to turn the safety off!" He shouted at his right-hand droid.

"Uh, we can't, sir. We lost all contact with them and anybody who went to check on them."

"What? Why didn't you tell me earlier!?"

"You were so focused on the clones outside, sir." The droid answered honestly. "You didn't care to listen to us."

"Why you—"

Before he could even finish, the doors to the room were blown open. In rushed Kal and his infiltration team. The Separatist general attempted to escape through another door, but the rest of the 304th came in from there.

Compass and Egad quickly disarmed the enemy leader just as Aliyah and Steele entered the scene. He quickly submitted to defeat and was taken away to the ships outside.

Everyone else swept the area for any stragglers. Eventually, the entire building was cleared. And the bombs were put in place, waiting to be activated once everyone's back on the ships.

"Let's get out of here, boys! Mission's accomplished!" Aliyah praised.

It was an unreal feeling. They didn't know to cheer or cry. But they did know one thing. They owed their thanks to her. Their new general who saved them from a tyrant.

One by one, they saluted to her.

And one by one, Aliyah acknowledged them. As brave people, willing to put their lives on the line for a better future.

"We owe you, General Korentayer," Steele said as they walked back to the gunships. "I owe you, most of all."

"You don't need to."

"No, we do. You freed us from a lifetime of serving Krell. And I'll never be able to repay that debt."

"But you're already repaying it."

Steele was confused. "What?"

"Like I said before. 'Everyone, stay behind me unless I say otherwise. And you. Stay next to me.' Watch my back. And I'll watch yours. And you'll know the debt's been repaid."

That made sense.

"I promise you, general. I'll do what I can to keep you alive. It's the least I can do."

Aliyah smiled.

~ O O O ~

_Near the end of the war…_

_Steele was firing endlessly at the droids. They were coming from all around. The attack was so sudden and unexpected. How could they have not predicted this?_

_He looked frantically around for his general. Then he saw her, swinging her lightsaber around and looking around for any survivors._

_Just before he was about to call out to her, his holocomm beeped. He took it out._

" _The time has come, Commander Steele…" A blurry hologram of a hooded-figure spoke to him._

" _Steele!" Aliyah shouted. "Where are you?"_

_But Steele was focused on the hooded-figure speaking to him._

" _...Execute Order Sixty-Si—"_

_SMASH!_

_**End of Introductory arc. The Clone's Hero will be back for the Aftermath of Umbara arc!** _


	16. Daylight after Umbara (Aftermath of Umbara pt1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N. First of all, I'd like to thank my family for making my birthday today feel special! Even though we're stuck at home in quarantine.
> 
> Second of all, welcome back! I know it's been awhile since the previous arc but I hope you haven't given up on me yet! This arc will be shorter than the last one. And chronologically, takes place between the show's Umbara arc and Zygerrian slavers arc.
> 
> Remember, I'm still open to accepting arc ideas. And if you liked this chapter, please favourite, follow, and review!
> 
> See you all next time! :)
> 
> \- MiraLake

**Daylight after Umbara (Aftermath of Umbara pt1)**

**_What goes around, comes around_ **

Krell sat patiently in his holding room. Mace Windu and Yoda walked through the door. Several Temple guards stood behind them.

Today was his judgement day.

"Pong Krell, do you feel remorse for what you did?" Mace asked directly.

Krell knew what to say.

"Master Windu, Master Yoda. We go through this every single month. And every month, I gain more understanding of my actions. I know that it's been a long time, and things have been slow. But now...I feel something."

"What exactly do you feel?" Mace inquired.

Time to answer in 3...2...1...

"Change."

Yoda and Mace looked at each other. A light nod was exchanged before the elder green Jedi stepped up.

"Time has come...for you to act on this change, you speak of."

Mace gestured for the Temple guards to enter. "On behalf of the Council, you are now hereby released. Congratulations."

Nodding his head, Krell got up. "I offer my humble gratitude, for allowing me a chance to learn from my mistakes."

"There's plenty more for you to learn," Mace warned. "You've been tasked to help out on controlling one of the Republic's strategic systems, Umbara. The guards will escort you to the information room. Details of the mission will be there."

Krell mentally smiled. Oh, those months of reformation have changed him alright.

Enough for him to learn how to conceal his dark thoughts.

~ O O O ~

Days later, Krell was caught up on the entire Umbara mission. He made his way across the Temple to the hangar to his assigned star destroyer.

Suddenly, he catches sight of a certain someone walking—unknowingly—down towards him. That someone stopped in her tracks.

"No. Way."

"Young Korentayer, long time no see. You've certainly grown." Krell feigned amiableness.

"How are you out?" Aliyah sharply demanded.

"The Council let me out," Krell explained. He waited to see if she had any comebacks. She didn't so he kept talking. "I've been assigned to help control a once Republic-associated world."

"Umbara?" Aliyah questioned.

"Yes. Not the most top-priority mission but I'm willing to work my way up."

"Yeah? Well, for the sake of those participating in it, I really hope you did learn a thing or two during your 'reformation,'" Aliyah snapped.

"Well, it _has_ been a while since I was on the field. So I may underperform there. I don't suppose you got any advice for me?"

Aliyah gave him the silent treatment.

"Fine." Krell scoured the area behind her. "Where's your commander? One would think he'd be by your side at all times."

Still silence.

"It's a shame." Krell sighed. "I would've liked to talk to him or someone from my old legion before I left."

"Stay away from my men."

Despite her monotone voice. Krell could tell she's making it clear the 304th is hers now. Not his.

He laughed. "Ever the naive Jedi. Tell me, do you really trust those clones with your life?"

"I've been on more missions with them than you ever did. I trust them to make the right call. No matter how hard it is."

"And what if the right call is to...relieve you of duty?"

Krell walked closer, stopping once he's at her side. "What if they choose the Republic over you? What would you do then? Who would you defend?"

Aliyah's eyes widened. "...You had a vision, didn't you?"

Instead of answering, Krell smirked and walked ahead.

"Hey! You're not going anywhere until you tell me what you saw!"

"I already did." He didn't bother turning around. "Well, Korentayer. I guess I'll see you once I return."

With that, Krell boarded the star destroyer. And Aliyah made permanent note of what he just said.

About her clones choosing loyalty to the Republic over loyalty to her.

~ O O O ~

Steele was walking down the halls of the star destroyer headed to Umbara. He was doing a run-through of the entire ship.

Stopping in front of a door, Steele looked down at a list of men under his watch. The door opened and he didn't look up before walking. The clone on the other side ran into him.

"Oof!" The two clones exclaimed.

The clone who ran into Steele dropped his helmet upon impact. "I'm so sorry, commander! I was in a rush and—"

"—It's fine, really. I should've been looking." Steele assured. He picked up the clone's helmet and handed it back to him.

Recognition lit Steele's face.

"Hey...you're one of the cadets I helped train...Domino Squad right?" He asked tentatively.

"Oh, I remember you! You were critiquing our performance of the mock exam. That was some time ago." The clone took back his helmet. "Name's Fives, sir."

"I'll try to not forget again. I'm Steele." He took a second look at Fives. "Wow. Look at you: an ARC-trooper now."

Fives beamed with pride. "Yep. Long way from where I started. Though, the road here wasn't easy."

"And it won't get any easier. But I'm sure you can pull through. You've already made it this far, after all."

"Yeah, I know. By the way, what are you doing here?"

"Filling in for the commander who was supposed to accompany this ship. He got sick. What about you?"

"Me? I'm gonna be assisting General Skywalker and his men on Umbara." Fives proudly announced.

Steele nodded. "Sounds interesting. Can I hear more about it?"

"Sure. Here, I have an overview. I'm sure it's fine to just look." Fives handed him a summary of the entire mission.

It was simple and organized. There was a list of every participating battalion. Important strategies to be used. The Jedi who'll be leading. And...

Steele held back a gasp. His blood ran cold.

Under the list of participating Jedi was the name...

_Pong Krell._

"You ok, commander?" Fives noticed the almost-gasp.

Steele forced time to move again.

"...Yeah. Just a little taken by how risky this whole operation is. The Umbarans are formidable in both tactics and technology. Especially technology." He handed the overview back to Fives.

"Yeah, well. So am I." Fives said confidently.

"Never doubted you. Good luck."

"Thanks." Fives begins to walk away. "I need to get to the hangar! Nice meeting you again! Let's talk more when I come back!"

Steele watches as the ARC-trooper disappears around the corner. Feelings of anger and guilt started to flood him.

_Should I have told him? No, I'm overreacting. Krell's only aiding General Kenobi's forces._

Steele resumed his run-through. "It's not like he'll be getting clones to lead anyway...right?"

Wrong.

~ O O O ~

_..."No. The Council has ordered you back to Coruscant, effective immediately"..."I'll be taking over in the interim"..._

_..."Master Krell, this is Rex, my first in command. You won't find a finer or more loyal trooper anywhere"..._

_..."Your reputation precedes you, General. It is an honour to be serving you"..._

_...Clones were screaming and being blown up...Krell made them march down the main road to the capital...Rex made the call to fall back, stirring Krell's anger..._

_..."CT-7567, do you have a malfunction in your design? You pulled your forces back from taking the capital city. The enemy now has control of this route. This entire operation has been compromised because of your failure!"..._

_...That was only the first drop before the clones were stranded in a storm known as General Krell...Rex had to balance loyalty between his men and their new general, but it was difficult...especially with Krell's constant disrespect towards them...and then..._

_..."Stop! We're shooting our own men!"..."Take off your helmets! Show them you're not the enemy!"..."Waxer, who gave you the order?"..._

_..."It was—it was General Krell"..._

_..."General Krell, you're being relieved of duty"..._

_...What happened next was a nightmare. Krell resisted arrest and slaughtered his way through the clones...so many died...brutally...painfully...but they managed to capture him...interrogate him...and then conclude that it's best if he's executed..._

_...Rex was shaking with his blaster aimed at the back of Krell's head..."I have to do this..."_

_..."You can't do this, can you?"..."Of course, eventually, you'd have to do the right thing—"..._

_...Krell couldn't finish the sentence before Dogma pulled the trigger..._

" _Rex?_ Rex? Rex!"

Rex looked up. Anakin could see that something was off.

"I know it must've been hard to complete the mission without me, but please. I need you to tell us what happened exactly."

When Rex still didn't answer, Anakin's Padawan, Ahsoka Tano decides to help out. "No one's going to get in trouble. We already know that there was deception among our forces. We just—"

"—We just need to know who the traitor is. And make sure they get the justice they deserve." Anakin finished. He then softened his demeanour. "Please, Rex."

Finally, after a long pause, Rex spoke.

"...The traitor was, General Krell. And there's no need to arrest him. He's already dead."

Neither Anakin nor Ahsoka was prepared for that answer. They were so taken aback that they had to take a quick breather before resuming the talk.

"So Krell was the one..." Anakin couldn't believe he let his men fall into the hands of a traitor. "You executed him?"

"No, sir. One of my men did." Rex hoped that Ahsoka would keep her word of no one getting in trouble.

"It was Dogma."

~ O O O ~

Fives stormed towards the break room. He was not in a mood to talk to anyone right now. The events of Umbara have sunk excruciatingly deep into him.

In his frustration, he slammed his fist against a nearby closed door. Several crashes were heard from the other side.

"Hey! Who did that?" The door opened and out stepped Steele. "Fives? Was that you?"

Fives took a look inside. A mess of droid parts littered the floor. "Sorry, commander. I'll help clean up."

"Eh, it's not a biggie. Come on in." He leads Fives inside. They begin picking up the parts. "Want to tell me why you decided to randomly hit the door?"

"No."

Not wanting to pry, Steele nodded. "Ok."

"'Ok?'" Fives stopped cleaning. "Is that all you're going to say? 'Ok?' Do I have to make it any more obvious that I'm _not_ ok?"

"Fives—"

"—No! I'm not ok! I just came back from what might be the worst mission of my life! Umbara was a nightmare! Marching headfirst into enemy fire without any backup! Being surrounded by darkness and blaster bolts and not knowing who's dead or alive! Never getting a chance to recover no matter how bad the day was! And when I decided to finally do what I believed was right, I couldn't even make it out with my whole team..." Fives painfully recalled Hardcase's sacrifice. "Can't you say something other than just 'ok,' sir?"

Thirty seconds later, Fives apologized. "I'm sorry. It's just—I'm really upset right now! Sorry."

He resumed cleaning.

"Fives." Steele laid in his words strongly. "Tell me what happened on Umbara."

No answer.

"I'm asking nicely."

Fives huffed and threw the last of the droid parts into a bin. "General Krell! That's what happened! Do you want to know what he—uh, sir?"

The look on Steele's face was one of pure horror.

~ O O O ~

"I swear, I'm not lying. That's what happened. General Krell betrayed us." Rex finished reciting the events of Umbara to the Council.

Behind him stood Anakin, Obi-Wan, and surprisingly, Aliyah.

The Council couldn't believe it. They messed up big time here.

"Tragic...this is," Yoda felt absolutely awful. "And alarming. Releasing Krell, our decision, it was. For that, offer you and your men, our greatest condolences."

All the Council members bowed their heads in silence. It wasn't much, but they don't have the power to turn back time and right things.

Rex nodded respectfully. But Anakin was still visibly upset over the whole ordeal.

"This tragedy shouldn't have happened in the first place!" He said harshly.

"Anakin..." Obi-Wan reprimanded. Sounding a little more tired than usual. Krell also killed clones from his battalion after all.

"What? If he was just released from reformation, then clearly, he shouldn't have been picked as my substitute!"

Rex kept quiet. An aura of fear, pain, and anger emitted from him.

It was an aura Aliyah knew all too well. "I have to agree with Skywalker."

"We didn't call you here for your opinion," Mace Windu said flatly. "Witnesses say that you were the last person Krell spoke to before leaving for Umbara. Did he tell you anything? Perhaps something related to his betrayal?"

"To his betrayal? No, he didn't." Aliyah paused. "But he did say something ominous regarding clones in general. Something about them choosing loyalty to the Republic over loyalty to us."

"But we are with the Republic," Ki-Adi-Mundi stated. "What does he mean by that?"

Aliyah shrugged. "I'm not sure. But I suggest we look into it."

"General Krell also told me something ominous," Rex revealed.

All eyes were on the clone captain.

"He said that we're going to lose the war. A new power will rise and he planned on joining them, that's why he betrayed us. He...he claimed to have seen that kind of future..." Rex addressed everyone in the room. "Are Jedi able to see things like that? Or was he lying?"

No one could answer immediately. They were all too horrified.

"...Very disturbing, that was, captain," Yoda shut his eyes for a second. "Hard to say, if Krell was lying or not. But too dangerous, it will be for us to do nothing."

Mace nodded in agreement. "We'll investigate it once we have time. But for now, we need to deal with the clone who ended Krell's life. What's his name again?"

"Dogma," Anakin answered.

"Bring him back to Coruscant. His trial and sentencing will take place here."

Rex didn't need to turn around to know his general is giving him an apologetic look.

~ O O O ~

"What's gonna happen to Dogma?" Tup asked Jesse.

"Are you asking what's gonna happen to him right now? Or what his sentence will be?"

"The latter one."

Jesse doesn't know. He thought hard as they walked towards the armoury. They needed to return some borrowed weapons.

"Want to know the truth? I don't think it's gonna end well for him." Jesse confessed.

"But Captain Rex believed he did the right thing!" Tup argued. "He said so!"

"Doesn't mean the higher-ups will believe it too."

The armoury came into view. The pair entered the armoury and were greeted by two clones, Compass and Egad, working inside.

"Hey! Here to borrow? Or return?" Compass asked.

"Return," Jesse answered as he and Tup handed over their pile of blasters.

Compass and Egad took the blasters. Then began doing the routine to clean used weapons.

"Wow, these things sure took a beating," Compass commented on the insane amount of dust and scratches on the blasters.

"You can say that again," Jesse sighed. He took a long look at Compass and Egad. "So...are you two the new janitors or is this just cleaning duty?"

"Oh no! We just come here whenever to help," Egad explained.

"Really? How long have you guys been doing this?" Tup asked.

"Since maintenance clone 99 passed away," Compass finished cleaning his batch and proceeded to put them away. "I never knew him personally. But hearing about what he did during the attack here really moved me. Never thought the bravest soldier in the army was him all along. I'm trying to carry the torch he was holding."

Hearing that made Jesse and Tup feel a little better. They decided to stay awhile longer.

"Well, I guess I have a lot of torches to carry myself now," Jesse commented.

"Why? Where did you two come from?" Egad asked as he finished cleaning the final blaster.

"The 'Shadow Planet', Umbara."

"Must've been rough. What happened exactly?"

"You don't want to know," Jesse warned.

Just then, Kal entered the room with two large bottles. "Compass, Egad. Thought you could use some refreshments."

"Thanks, captain." Compass caught the bottle that was thrown to him. Kal was promoted after their successful Mustafar mission.

Vito and Link entered the room after Kal. They were going to takeover once Compass and Egad's shift was over.

"Hey, keep talking." Compass said to Jesse. "What happened exactly?"

"I just said you don't want to know," Jesse repeated.

Tup agreed. "Trust me. We're doing you a favour by not telling."

"Not telling what?" Kal joined in. "Who are you two?"

"We're from the 501st, sir." Jesse introduced themselves. "Name's Jesse. He's Tup."

"They were just returning weapons," Egad elaborated. "But Compass wants to know what happened during their mission on Umbara. Which is something he _shouldn't_ be asking."

Compass rolled his eyes and opened his bottle. "It's always better to let it out after bad missions. Trust me, Jesse. We're veterans in missions that went horribly wrong."

"Compass! We're _not_ bringing those times up again!" Vito shouted.

“If my insomnia returns because of you. I will make you stay up all night with me.” Link pointed at Compass.

Kal apologized to Jesse and Tup. "Don't let him pressure you."

"It's alright, sir," Jesse replied. "Umbara is something my brothers and I will never forget. And will probably never heal from."

Tup nodded. "Honestly? The only reason I can sleep at night is the fact that General Krell is dead!"

Compass violently spat his water on the floor.

Everyone else stopped what they were doing. Jesse and Tup looked at each other. Did they say something wrong?

"What did you just say?" Kal demanded.

Tup slowly repeated. "General Krell is—"

"—dead." Kix suddenly appeared outside the armoury. "General Krell is dead."

An unsettling feeling filled the room. The 304th clones still didn't move or say anything.

Finally, Compass took another swig of water. And said bluntly.

"Drinks are on me."

**_Next time on The Clone's Hero, news of Krell's death reached the 304th. They bond with other clones who survived the carnage. And will continue to bond as some of them are called to attend Dogma's trial..._ **


	17. Bonding (Aftermath of Umbara pt2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N. And we're back on the same four-day update schedule as before!
> 
> IMPORTANT QUESTION: does anyone know Dogma's identification number? I need it for the next and later chapters but I can't seem to find it anywhere (wikis, databases, etc). If you also don't know, then feel free to make one up for me! XD
> 
> Please know that I'm still accepting arc ideas so don't be afraid to pm me if you have some!
> 
> Remember to leave kudos and comments if you enjoyed this chapter!
> 
> See you all next time! :)
> 
> \- MiraLake

**Bonding (Aftermath of Umbara pt2)**

_**Victims of the same oppressor can help and build each other** _

"So, you knew Krell too?" Anakin asked Aliyah.

They were on a ship towards Kamino. Where they'll pick up Dogma and anyone who may be required at his court-martial.

"Yeah. He was General of the 304th before me. Until I saw how abusive he was to his clones, and thus initiated his removal."

"Wait, so he was always like that?"

Aliyah nodded.

Anakin made a face. "That son of a…" He turned to Obi-Wan. "Why wasn't he dealt with earlier!? Obviously, he had serious issues!"

"The Council makes mistakes too," Obi-Wan answered disgruntled.

"Is that your only defense?" Anakin was incredulous. He turned back to Aliyah. "Hey, tell me. Since you're the one who took Krell's place."

"Tell you what?"

"Tell me that you tried to get him a harsher punishment! Because I can't believe that a guy like him was even given a second chance!"

Aliyah looked between him and Obi-Wan. "I didn't exactly try to get him a harsher punishment. My focus was separating him from his clones. But I agree, he shouldn't have been given a second chance."

"Exactly!" Anakin opened his arms. "And I can assume he wasn't repentant about the way he treated his former clones. After all, he had no problem hacking and slicing my legion!"

"Anakin!" Obi-Wan shouted. "Krell killed my men too! But you don't see me or even Cody throwing a fit."

"So?"

"So, you need to get a hold of yourself." Obi-Wan's voice cracked. He quickly cleared his throat. "What happened happened. As costly as it may be."

"It was costly indeed." Cody joined the conversation. "I lost one of my best men when Krell tricked the platoons into engaging each other."

Anakin softened his tone. "I'm sorry to hear that. What was his name?"

"Waxer," Cody answered with a heavy heart. "He was a good soldier. A good man. I never knew anyone who had a bigger heart than his. He'd always empathize with the civilians wherever we went. He deserved better than to be shot by his own brothers. _Sigh_ , why did I assign him to lead that platoon?"

Flashbacks of the friendly-fire incident hit Rex. "I wished I could've stopped it earlier. Then maybe, he and many others would still be alive."

"You did what you could." Aliyah insisted. "What Krell did to all your men is sickening. I'm so sorry that it had to happen."

"Again: it shouldn't. Have. Happened." Anakin crossed his arms.

Obi-Wan rubbed his eyes.

~ O O O ~

At the Kamino headquarters, word of Krell's demise spread like a virus.

"Have you heard?"

"Heard what?"

"General Krell. He's dead!"

"What!?"

"Who told you?"

"How did he die?"

"Talk to someone from the 501st or 212th! They were there when it happened!"

"When did it happen?"

"Like really recently! During the operation to control Umbara!"

By the time the Jedi arrived, things were spiralling out of control. Obi-Wan was afraid this would happen.

"Perhaps we should bring back more men than necessary for the trial. That should put the Council at ease." He suggested.

"How so?" Anakin asked.

"Their actions are more easily monitored on Coruscant. Helps in case one of them decides to do something rash in response to the events of Umbara."

"And why does that matter? They're people too, Obi-Wan. They should be allowed to feel angry and vent from time to time."

"Anakin, if you're going to be on the defense team for this trial, you need to be careful. Anything—and I mean _ANYTHING_ —you or your men do will be noted by the prosecutors. They will use it against you." Obi-Wan stroked his beard. "To be honest, I'm surprised the Council and Senate are allowing this. You're probably the least qualified person for the job."

"Hey, I have Senator Bail Organa on my side." Anakin smiled. _Thanks to Padme_. "He'll lead the defense, and I'll make sure we win. Because there's no way I'm letting Dogma be punished for killing Krell!"

"Do know that to serve the law you need to first obey the law. And given your past experiences? Well, I'm concerned."

Anakin opened his mouth to say something smart. But couldn't think of anything.

Obi-Wan decides to change focus. "Aliyah, remember to take some of your men back as well. We both know how they feel about Krell. They'll need to be monitored too."

Aliyah nodded in response. Anakin looked at her. "You don't have to agree if you think this is unfair to your men."

"No, it's ok. This way, I can keep an eye on them too. Besides, I'm already really worried about them."

Anakin understood. "I'm worried about my men too. How about you, Rex?"

"Me, sir?"

They entered the prisoner block and walked towards the cell Dogma's located in.

"I'm worried about Dogma." Rex finished as they reached their destination.

Entering, they were shocked to find Fives and Steele already inside. Dogma sat on the other side of the locked barrier. Looking like he barely slept.

Fives tapped Steele on the shoulder. "Sir, we have company."

"Fives, what are you doing here?" Rex asked.

"I was just accompanying Commander Steele. He wanted to speak with Dogma. That's all."

"I see." Obi-Wan entered the room. "Well, if you're finished here. We need to take him away."

"So he can answer for his crime of 'murdering' Krell?" Steele's back was turned to them. "Yeah, I know what happened. He and Fives told me everything down to the last detail."

Dogma hung his head. Mixed emotions swelled up inside him. As well as Steele.

"I should've killed him that day on Raxus."

"Steele, no," Cody argued. But deep down, he regretted holding him back that day. "You would've died too."

"But I'd be the only casualty. Compare that to Umbara. Tell me, how many men died? By his hand?"

"Too many." Rex shook his head while answering.

That multiplied Steele's guilt by ten-fold. "I should've killed him."

"We'll talk about this later," Aliyah promised. "Right now, we need to take away Dogma. Please, Steele."

Anakin walked forward. "What happened was beyond any of our control. Once a Jedi's turned to the Dark Side. There's no coming back."

"'The Dark Side'?" Steele scoffed. "How can you turn to a side you were already on?"

Nobody knew the answer to that.

~ O O O ~

Not too long after, the Jedi escorted Dogma out. Steele and Fives went their separate ways. The latter went to rejoin his legion.

He found them in the mess hall talking to members of the 212th and 304th. By now, most of the 501st learned that Krell was always harsh towards clones.

"You're telling me that we weren't the first to suffer under him?" One of the 501st clones asked Jesse.

"Why don't you ask them?" Jesse gestured over to Compass and his comrades. "They used to fight with him."

"More like 'fight for him'," Compass corrected.

"He used to be your general? I thought General Korentayer always led you guys." Another 501st clone stated.

"I wish that was true." A 304th clone confessed. "Cause those were dark times when Krell was around."

"What was he like on Umbara?" Another 304th clone asked.

"Oh, he had no regard for our lives!" Kix was more than happy to explain. "He'd just push us forward no matter how bad our situation was! And whenever we tried to reason with him, he'd threaten to court-martial or execute us!"

"Pulled out his lightsaber on me when I tried to defend our captain!" Fives added.

Vito scoffed. "Tch, typical Krell. Looks like he didn't learn anything while in reformation."

Jesse scooted closer. "So he'd make you guys do frontal assaults too? With no backup or anything? And just watch from the rear?"

Compass nodded. "Oh, yeah. And he doesn't take 'retreat!' for an answer."

"What if you do need to retreat?" A 212th clone joined the conversation.

"Uh, you can't."

"What if you do it anyway?"

Compass pointed at his eyes. "Then say goodbye to your sight. Or worse."

Boil scoffed. "That's it. Krell's insane."

"Insane? More like a monstrous lunatic!" Fives yelled. "He tried to have Jesse and me executed after we successfully destroyed the enemy's support vessel!"

"Unfortunately, that's pretty normal of him. You're lucky to have gotten away with that." Kal recalled the Utapau night raid which almost got him in the same boat as Fives.

"'Pretty normal of him'? Really?" Tup nearly toppled over his bench.

"So it's normal for you guys to walk down the front path into enemy territory?" Fives began listing every illogical thing Krell had in his tactics. "No major artillery. No defensive-maneuvers. No backup-plans whatsoever. No retreating. No—"

"—Don't even try. You'll run out of fingers." Compass stopped him.

Fives sat back down. "Man, that's unbelievable!"

"No wonder your early-war casualty rates were off the charts!" Another clone chimed in.

"Why's Dogma arrested again?" His buddy sarcastically asked.

Egad joined the talk. "Krell was always a real low-life. It's either 'suffer in the battle' or 'suffer after it'. I knew for a long time that morals didn't apply to him. But still…putting two platoons against one another in hopes that they'd wipe each other out…"

A grimace formed on Egad's face. "That's _pure evil._ "

Everyone silently nodded. That was something that would haunt them forever.

"Men!" Cody suddenly entered the room. "If you're under Generals Skywalker, Kenobi, or Korentayer, head down to the main hangar right now!"

"Where are we going?" Someone asked.

"Some of you won't be going anywhere. But for the rest, you'll most likely be testifying at Dogma's trial." Cody explained.

"Wait, we're testifying too?" Kal gestured to his 304th comrades. "Why? We weren't on Umbara."

"That's something your general will explain. Now hurry up!"

~ O O O ~

It didn't take long for everyone to be sorted and picked. The Jedi knew exactly who to bring and who to leave behind.

One by one, the selected clones boarded the ship to Coruscant.

Dogma was the last to board. Entering with an entourage of guards and his hands in cuffs.

Everyone gave him reassuring looks. Rex even went up to him and whispered.

"You did the right thing. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

Dogma managed a weak, "thanks, sir," before being dragged to his temporary ship quarters.

They finally departed from Kamino.

Everyone was pretty quiet after seeing Dogma. The Jedi left them alone to speak with him. Well, mainly Anakin since he needed to tell Dogma their defense strategy with Senator Organa.

Rex decided to spend some alone time near the back of the ship. He wasn't the only one who wanted that.

"Oh, commander." Rex greets Steele. "How're you doing?"

"Alright, I guess. And please, let's go by a first name basis."

"You sure? I mean, I haven't spoken with you since that Naboo siege."

"Huh. You still remember."

"How can I not? Kind of hard to forget all those ugly bruises you had." Rex pointed at his arm and his neck. "I was right about your injuries, wasn't I? They were from Krell, not the battlefield."

Steele gingerly rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah."

"You know, you could've said something when General Skywalker was asking about how you got hurt so badly," Rex revealed. "We were willing to listen."

" _Sigh_. That's in the past. And I'm trying to forget it."

Rex crossed his arms. "Interesting, because Krell seems to remember you just fine."

"Excuse me?"

"Back on Umbara, when I was defending the actions of Fives and Jesse. Krell said to me, 'I've seen it before. Some clones are just defective, they are unable to succumb to authority.' I didn't think much of it before. But now? I'm pretty sure he was referring to you, comman—Steele."

Steele scratched his helmet. "Maybe. Or maybe he was referring to one of my men. We were all pretty against him. Let's be honest here, Rex. No one liked serving under his command."

"Exactly. So how could you stand serving him for as long as you did?" Rex demanded.

That was hard for Steele to answer. "As long as Krell directed his rage on me instead of my men, I was ok."

"I thought that too. Until he tricked us into killing our own men! And then killed more of us when we tried to arrest him!" Rex felt his anger flare. "I can't serve a leader like that."

"...I'm sorry."

Rex could hear the guilt in Steele's voice. "...When you said 'you should've killed him that day on Raxus'...what're you talking about?"

"On the day the Council planned to take Krell into custody, I requested five minutes to speak with him alone. But when I saw him almost choking my then-sergeant to death, I lost it. I challenged him to a fight where he must discard his lightsabers and Force-abilities. And he accepted."

"And you won…you have my everlasting respect."

"No, I didn't win." Steele leaned against the wall. "He was on the ground and his lightsaber was in my hand. But I wasn't able to drive it into his heart. Just like I wasn't able to warn Fives after knowing full-well that Krell was going to Umbara."

"Hey. None of us are to blame for Krell's crimes. You hear me?"

Steele looked at him. "Then explain Dogma's situation. Because from what I know about the Senate, they'll likely put him under the table."

Rex couldn't deny it. That possibility did cross his mind.

"Then I'll have to convince them otherwise with my testimony."

~ O O O ~

Coruscant was prepared for Dogma's arrival.

Everything was in place. The guards. The path to the court building. The Senators and other military-figures who'll be attending. And of course, the representatives for the prosecution and defense.

Steele never saw anything so neatly organized. He stood at the back of the massive room with Compass. Watching as Dogma and his guards walked to the center podium.

On one side of the room, Anakin and Senator Organa stood in their own pod. Several clones who were witness to Krell's actions on Umbara sat in a section behind them.

On the other side, was the prosecution team. Which consisted of Kaminoan Senator Halle Burtoni, and Adjutant General Wilhuff Tarkin.

Standing next to Steele, was Compass. He nodded at Dogma, "This is wrong on so many levels. He shouldn't be down there."

"Then where do you think he should be?" Steele asked curiously.

"At an award ceremony. Surrounded by applause. Being escorted onstage and receiving a medal of honour for ending that monster's life."

Steele was struck. Compass really thought that through.

"Just appreciate the fact he's even given a trial. It could be worse. He could've been immediately executed for killing Krell."

"But that's just it. How is that a crime—ow!"

Steele hit Compass's helmet. "Unless you'd like to join him down there. You keep your mouth shut."

Compass shook his head to get rid of the ringing in his ears. "Still can't believe I was one of the selected to come here."

"Well, I can. You would've given the Council many sleepless nights with your big mouth. General Korentayer made the right call."

"Speaking of which, where is she?"

Steele pointed at the area near the judge's podium. A few members of the Council and other Jedi spectators were there. Aliyah was standing next to Plo Koon. And next to her was Ahsoka.

"Oh, I see her." Compass turned to Steele. "Have you two talked yet?"

"Yeah. We talked when she was explaining why some of us had come to Coruscant."

"No, I meant about _this_." Compass pointed at the floor, indicating the entirety of the court-martial. "Have you talked about the events of Umbara, Krell's crimes, and his death?"

Steele sighed. "Why does it matter? It's public knowledge now."

"Alright…" Compass decided to drop the topic.

Then started a new one.

"She's taking this rather nicely: our general."

"She's a Jedi," Steele stated obviously. "They can't let emotions get in their way. It's written in their code."

"True. Well, in that case. You're taking this rather nicely too."

That nearly made Steele laugh out loud. "I am?"

"Yeah. Out of all the people in the galaxy, you probably had the most reason to hate Krell. And now he's dead. And his supposed 'murderer' is on trial. But you're still keeping yourself together. If that's not impressive, then I don't know what is."

Suddenly everyone who was sitting rose to their feet. The court speaker announced Chancellor Palpatine's entrance.

"All rise, for his Excellency!"

The seconds seemed to tick slower as Palpatine made his way to the judge's podium. Dogma felt a drop of sweat roll off his face and hit the floor.

"As Chancellor of the Galactic Republic, I hereby preside over the trial of the accused clone-trooper. Charged with deliberately taking the life of his interim Jedi general."

Several disapproving headshakes came from the spectating figures. Rex squeezed the edge of his pod to contain his frustration.

"And will deem a sentence fit for his crime," Palpatine continued. "Are the prosecution and defense ready?"

The defense and prosecution team both stood up and answered respectively.

"Yes, Your Excellency."

Needing to yawn, Steele looked away for a second. As soon as he looked back, he caught sight of something—no someone—standing next to Dogma. He nearly stopped breathing.

It was a ghostly figure of Krell.

He put a hand on Dogma's shoulder. Then looked up at Steele and smirked.

" _I've won, commander. I've won."_

Palpatine addressed the entire court.

"The court is now in session."

_**Next time on The Clone's Hero, the first day of Dogma's trial begins. And unfortunately, it'll be a rather rocky beginning…** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT clarification:
> 
> The ghost of Krell Steele sees is NOT A FORCE-GHOST. It's simply an image Steele conjured up because he's still haunted by memories of Krell. This is simply saying that Steele's not over him yet.
> 
> I hope this clarified any confusion! :)


	18. Trial: Day One (Aftermath of Umbara pt3)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N. I wrote this chapter with the help of a law student friend. But I know there are still inaccuracies in how my story's trial is being conducted. However, those are not accidental. I had to compromise between accuracy and story-telling. And this is the result of our work.
> 
> So please don't berate me is you see something unrealistic. This is a story, not a documentary. I'm already doing my best to stay true to realism.
> 
> Thanks for reading, everyone! And as usual, please favourite, follow, and review if you liked this!
> 
> See you all next time! :)
> 
> \- MiraLake

**Trial: Day One (Aftermath of Umbara pt3)**

_**There will always be liars. Some good, some bad.** _

"Your Excellency, Senators." Senator Burtoni began her opening statement. "I am here with Adjutant General Wilhuff Tarkin, to prove that the accused, CT-5140, is without a doubt, a danger to the Republic. Yes, Jedi Master and General, Pong Krell, was indeed a traitor. But his life was not CT-5140's to take! This clone stepped over the line! As the representatives of the People, we will show that he's an unstable, unreliable, and unnecessary addition to the Grand Army of the Republic! And needs to be sentenced appropriately!"

Anakin glared at the Kaminoan Senator—the chief prosecutor—just as Senator Organa stood up to say his opening statement.

"Your Excellency, Senators. I and Jedi General Anakin Skywalker, are the representatives of the accused, CT-5140, more commonly known as Dogma. Today, we intend to prove that he is in the right for killing his interim General Pong Krell. And we will do that by showing you, through the words of several witnesses, that Krell—not Dogma—is the true danger to the Republic! And that his death is justified."

Looking around, Anakin made sure that the prosecution team and everyone else's eyes were glued on him and Senator Organa. And they were.

Palpatine spoke. "The prosecution may call its first witness."

_~∞Direct-examination of prosecution witness…∞~_

"My name is Colonel Rastor, I was in charge of a recon team which included the accused, CT-5140, from awhile back. I remember that he was quite an unusual clone. He'd always peg me for our next motives. Overall, being inappropriately curious—"

"—I just wanted to make sure I wasn't misinterpreting orders." Dogma explained himself.

"Silence!" Palpatine commanded. "You will speak when called upon."

Anakin made a mental note to cross-examine the hell out of this Colonel Rastor guy.

_~∞Direct-examination of defense witness…∞~_

"I was there when our platoon engaged the 212th's!" Tup said into the mic. "And so was Dogma. Until that event, Dogma never once disobeyed Krell. Even when many of us were against him. But after that, that's when he realized Krell's true colours! And did what he had to do!"

"Objection!" Senator Burtoni stood up. "Witness is likely biased due to being in the same unit as the accused!"

"That doesn't erase the fact Krell orchestrated the friendly-fire!" Tup argued.

They started a spat that Anakin joined in on. Eventually, Palpatine called for order.

"Order in the court! Order in the court!"

_~∞Direct-examination of prosecution witness…∞~_

"Can you tell the court what CT-5140 did in response to your order?" Senator Burtoni asked.

"He tried to go against it." The Head of the Senate guard answered.

"And why, in your honest opinion, do you think he did that?"

"Because I don't issue orders like General Skywalker."

All the Senators took note of that. Anakin didn't like it. He could see where this was going.

_~∞Cross-examination of prosecution witness…∞~_

"It is without question, that the accused, CT-5140, began having a hard time listening to me after that incident. It seems to me that he's easily wavered in terms of loyalty." Representative Kleine finished saying.

"Mr. Kleine," Anakin faced the witness directly. "You were about to be kidnapped and held for ransom. Dogma disobeyed you to save your life. He did his job as your assigned bodyguard."

"In the event that my enemies were successful in getting hold of me, my partners were prepared to pay whatever the price. There was no need for him to leave his post."

"He was doing it for you."

"He was acting on his impulse: that's what he was doing. Maybe if he could control his impulses better, he wouldn't have shot his general."

Dogma couldn't believe it. That and Umbara were the only incidents he ever went out of line.

_~∞Direct-examination of defense witness…∞~_

"So you were there when Dogma tried to stop you guys from pursuing Krell?" Senator Organa asked a clone from the 212th battalion who was a survivor of the friendly-fire incident.

"Yes. Despite being shaken from the recent events, he was still willing to follow and obey Krell."

"Did he attempt to shoot any of you?"

"No. We were able to talk him down and take him into custody." The clone looked at Dogma. "He realized that taking orders from a traitor is wrong."

Senator Organa nodded. "Thank you. I have no further questions."

_~∞Cross-examination of defense witness…∞~_

"I don't appreciate you accusing me of lying, sir!" Jesse nearly launched himself over his pod.

Tarkin kept speaking in his usual cold-manner. "The fact remains that you and your fellow clones hated General Krell. Perhaps you all let your hatred get the better of you. And CT-5140 acted upon it first."

"Krell hated us too. How do you know he didn't let his hatred get the better of him?"

"I don't," Tarkin looked directly at Jesse. "Because he's dead. And I can't interrogate a corpse, clone."

"Objection!" Anakin stood up.

_Hours later…_

More witnesses were interviewed by both sides. More evidence was presented. But things weren't getting anywhere.

Actually, things were getting worse.

Many of the Senators were siding with the prosecution team. They believe that Dogma killed Krell out of hatred, not justice. Which makes him a danger to the Republic.

"Your Excellency, I believe we are nearing a conclusion," Senator Burtoni said.

"You still have evidence and witnesses that have not yet presented," Senator Organa argued. "It's too early to decide a verdict."

Palpatine agreed. "Unless the accused would like to plea guilty, we shall continue this at a later time. CT-5140, do you have anything you wish to say?"

Dogma could barely raise his head. He looked up at the Chancellor with lifeless eyes and answered.

"No."

Anakin could hear the hopelessness in Dogma's voice. He hated that he couldn't do anything to help him other than this.

Palpatine made his decision. "Then the trial shall be adjourned for now."

"All rise!" The speaker announced.

Everyone rose to their feet. And Palpatine addressed the court.

"We will continue at the same time, tomorrow."

With that, everyone started clearing the room. The guards took Dogma down from his podium and back to the cell.

The defense and prosecution teams went their separate ways. Along with the witnesses. Neither side spoke to each other.

From the back of the room, Steele shook his head in disappointment.

~ O O O ~

"This isn't a court-martial, this is a theatre-act!" Anakin slammed his drink down.

He, Obi-Wan, Senator Organa, and several clones were out at a pub. Trying to forget their horrible first-day at court.

Senator Organa tried to calm him. "General, I suggest you go back and cool your head. I'll figure out a way to improve our defense. But I need you to stay clean."

Anakin finishes his drink and snaps his fingers. "Rex! Get me another one!"

"Are you sure, sir?" Rex paused his card game with Cody and Kal and walked over. "Maybe the Senator's right, you should head back."

"Don't worry, this place is exclusive to us tonight. And we won't be coming back tomorrow so get me another one."

Rex reluctantly obliged. Obi-Wan was concerned. "Anakin, please don't spend all your credits here."

Anakin looked at him funny. "I'm not paying for anything. This is all a treat."

"What?" Obi-Wan was dumbfounded. "Who's treating?"

"I am!" Compass shouted from across the room. "So please, sit back and relax!"

Everyone cheered but Obi-Wan wasn't convinced. "You can afford all this?"

"Of course he can. Does it look like he's bluffing?" Kix answered. While ignoring the pile of empty shot glasses behind Compass.

Rex returned with another drink for his general. Senator Organa and Obi-Wan prepared to leave.

Before they did, Obi-Wan rushed over to Rex, Cody, and Kal's card game. He snatched away any alcoholic drink he saw around them.

"No! No! No!" He drained the glasses down a nearby sink.

The three clones looked at him, flabbergasted. Cody especially.

"It was a mocktail—"

"—No," Obi-Wan cuts him off. "I'm appointing you three as the DD's. Make sure he's under control," Obi-Wan pointed at Anakin.

Rex couldn't accept it. "Everyone gets a break but us?"

"You should take this job as a compliment," Obi-Wan said before walking away.

As soon as he and Senator Organa exited, everyone unleashed their rage and frustrations. Finally! Time to vent.

Compass downed another glass. "It's rigged I tell you! Rigged!"

"Where's the justice in all this?" Boil agreed.

"'Can't interrogate a corpse'," Jesse mimicked Tarkin's voice. "Does he take me for an idiot?"

"Actually, I say we give that a shot." Egad walked up to the group. "Dig Krell out of his grave and see if Tarkin really can't interrogate him!"

A lot of head nods and laughter followed.

"Hey, General Skywalker!" Fives shouted. "Is there some kind of Jedi trick to reanimate the dead?"

"Not that I know of! But I'm all in for that!" Anakin shouted back.

"Go home, general! You're drunk!" Rex hollered over his shoulder.

Cody rolled his eyes. "At least he's having fun. But they're right. Today's trial was unfair. All the evidence was either circumstantial or highly exaggerated."

Kal nodded as he put another card down. "I don't think Dogma recognized half those testifiers."

"They're trying to make it seem like we never got used to Krell's command." Rex rubbed his temple. "That we took advantage of the fact he turned traitor and killed him. Ridiculous."

Fives walked up behind his captain. "Sir, why didn't you testify today?"

"Senator Organa felt it'd be best to save me for last. I was subjected the most to Krell and Dogma during the mission, so I could potentially make the most impact."

"I see." Fives looked at Kal. "Can anyone from the 304th testify? You guys knew Krell far longer than any of us. You should be able to convince the court that he's the villain!"

Kal shook his head. "The prosecutors already made sure we're not allowed to testify for Dogma. That's what our general told us."

"What? Wait, let me get this straight." Fives chugged some water. "You're not allowed to testify _for_ Dogma. But does that mean one of you can be called to testify _against_ him?"

"Holy…" Kal nearly dropped all his cards. "I didn't even think of that!"

Vito, who overhead, asked, "They can't force us to do that, can they?"

"Not without a subpoena, they can't," Anakin confirmed.

The clones all breathed a sigh of relief. Then Compass suddenly changed the lighting colour.

"Enough talk of the trial! Let's just focus on the important thing here: Krell is dead!"

Everyone decided to let loose. It's only for tonight after all.

Compass said louder. " And I personally believe that Dogma will be freed. Have faith in Senator Organa and General Skywalker! They will free him!"

"Yeah!"

~ O O O ~

Ahsoka sat next to Plo Koon in the lounge. She was upset over today's trial too.

"I'm worried about my Master." She confessed. "I think he may be taking things way too personally. Not that he shouldn't! But this is a trial. There's a certain level of professionalism that's required…" She looked at Plo awkwardly. "You get what I mean?"

Plo nodded. "I completely understand. Though, I think you should be concerned about something else right now."

"Like what?"

"Master!" Aliyah walked into the lounge. "Oh, hey Ahsoka."

"Hey," the Togruta Padawan greeted.

"What are you here for?" Plo asked.

Aliyah sighed. "They've been out far too long. I'm heading there to tell them enough for tonight. Care to join me?"

"Why me? Why not Master Kenobi?"

"He left there earlier. Said he's 'too tired to deal with drunk Anakin'. I'm not going to force him back."

Ahsoka stifled a laugh. "Can I come instead? I've dealt with worse versions of Master Skywalker."

Aliyah smiled teasingly. "Sorry, kid. You're underage."

"Hey! I've been to the Coruscant underworld bar before!" Ahsoka turned to Plo. "Remember? The 'Boba Fett has a grudge against Master Windu' incident?"

Plo chuckled. "Yes. But that was different. You were in company of an adult: me."

Ahsoka winced. She could tell what Plo was implying here. And the look on Aliyah's face said that she could tell too.

"Ahsoka, grab your cloak. You're coming with me." Aliyah commanded.

Ahsoka did as told. "So it's fine now?" She asked while putting on her cloak.

"Yes, because you'll also be in company of an adult: me." Aliyah pointed at herself.

They left the lounge together.

~ O O O ~

Steele woke up to his alarm. He has been napping ever since today's trial ended. But it was difficult to sleep.

Especially when all his men were nagging him to go out for drinks.

He looked out the blinds and realized how late it is now. "Guess some fresh air wouldn't kill me."

In less than a minute, Steele was ready and headed out the door. This was a dorm-suite building all the clones were temporarily residing in.

He headed down to the lobby. Not knowing that he's being followed.

"That him? Krell's former commander?"

"Who else can it be? He's the only clone with goggles like those. Wait until he's in a more secluded area. Then we'll have our little talk."

~ O O O ~

Aliyah and Ahsoka were inside the pub now. The two had been talking nonstop on the way here.

"Out of curiosity, why does he call you 'Snips'?" Aliyah asked.

"Because I'm snippy." Ahsoka made a scissor gesture with her fingers. The two laughed.

Aliyah takes out the passcard. "Have you dealt with your Master drunk before?"

Ahsoka shrugged. "No. But I'm sure I can handle it."

The lock accepted the passcard and the door opened. Revealing a room that was equivalent to a den of chaos.

Overturned tables, cracked glasses, and cards littered the floor. There was not a single sober voice in the room.

"He's practically married to his blaster, I tell you!"

"Don't tell Bly this: but if General Secura kicked me in the ribs, I'd thank her!"

"I refuse to die before I see General Windu grow hair!"

But what shocked the two Jedi the most, was the thing in the middle of the room: a wobbly pyramid made of clones. With Anakin on top.

"We did it!" Anakin cheered as he straightened himself and touched the ceiling.

"MASTER!"

Ahsoka's shout caused Anakin to lose balance and fall. Which caused the entire clone pyramid to collapse.

Everyone stopped doing what they were doing as Ahsoka stomped up to her master.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING? AND WHERE'S REX?"

That's when Aliyah was waved over by Cody. "General, come here."

"Why didn't anyone try to control things?" Aliyah demanded.

"We did. But there was a minor casualty…" Cody led them to a pale-faced Rex. He was being tended to by Kix and Kal.

Ahsoka saw what was happening there and joined them. "Rex! What happened?"

"...Tried to stop them from building the pyramid halfway-through…and…"

"And they all fell on him." Kix finished as he changed Rex's ice-pack. "Does it feel better now?"

Ahsoka saw enough. She headed to the middle of the room. "Party's over, everyone! Start cleaning up! You too, Master!"

Miraculously, everyone sobered up. They began putting away the mess.

Aliyah surveyed the room. "Steele's not here?"

"He never showed up," Kal answered. "Probably still at the building."

She nodded, then looked at Rex. "Can you walk, captain?"

"Don't worry, general," Cody assured. "Kal and I will help him escort everyone back."

"I can help too," Kix volunteered. "I started to lose my buzz about half-an-hour ago."

"Thank you," Aliyah appreciated. She walked over to the clones cleaning. "Once this place is spotless, you can head back! And don't forget about the tab!"

Everyone looked at Compass instinctively.

He waved his hand. "I got it! Don't worry!"

~ O O O ~

Steele walked around the block for the third time. This time, he knew he wasn't imagining things.

Someone was following him.

He began speeding up. The footsteps got louder. Finally, he turned around.

"Alright, who are you?" He barely missed his stalker's attempt to tap his shoulder.

"Apologies, Commander Steele." The formal-dressed male Neimodian spoke. He was with a formal-dressed man and three bodyguards. "We're assistants to Senator Burtoni. We only want to ask you some questions."

"Must be some weird questions. If you decided to sneak after me instead of making this more proper."

The man ignored that. "Let's get to the point. The prosecution would like you to testify for them. Of course, this isn't official yet. We're just giving you a heads up—"

"—You want me to testify _against_ Dogma?" Steele repeated.

The Neimodian nodded. "Yes, against the accused clone-trooper. We were told that you once served General Krell, so you can be our expert witness. You'll be able to give the court details related to Krell's activities."

"Oh? Did those same people tell you details about my and Krell's relationship?"

"I beg your pardon?"

Steele leaned closer. "Here's the thing, mister. If you want me to stand in the witness pod and spew details about my late former general. Then be prepared for answers you least expected. Because there's nothing good I have to say about Krell. Nothing. Now, leave me be."

Steele turned around to walk away. But the Neimodian shouted and tried to grab him.

"Hey! We're not finished—"

Aliyah suddenly appeared and grabbed the Neimodian's arm.

"What do you think you're doing to my commander?"

He, the man, and their guards tensed. Steele relaxed.

The man spoke first. "General Korentayer, tell your commander that he has a responsibility to answer the court's wishes."

"What wishes? I don't see any documents on you."

"Documents take a very long time—"

"—Just like your hospital stay. If you don't leave now."

Seeing that they have no advantage without a subpoena, the two assistants and their guards left. Aliyah turned to Steele.

"You alright?"

"Yeah."

Silence.

"This a good time to talk?" Aliyah asked.

"Yeah."

~ O O O ~

The two found a quiet bench with a good view of the city. And talked. About the events of Umbara. About Dogma's predicament. And about Steele's feelings toward all of this.

"As far as I'm concerned. The only thing Dogma's guilty of is being born a clone." Steele rested his hands behind him. "Funny how quick people turn against a soldier, once he finally becomes human."

"Not all people. Though few, there are those who still know you're living-beings too."

"I know. You taught me that much, general. You're the best thing that's happened to me in this war."

"Thank you." Aliyah then hardened her demeanour. "Now, tell me the truth."

Steele smirked. He should've known better than to play mind tricks with a Jedi.

"You want me to be honest?" He lifted the liquor bottle that Aliyah brought.

But before he could take a sip, she snatched it away. "Uh-uh. Sober, please. I've dealt with enough drunkards tonight."

After laughing over what his general's been through tonight. Steele turned dead serious.

"Fine. The truth is…I hated Dogma. The second Fives told me that Dogma shot Krell, I couldn't help but think 'he stole my kill'. That was the first thing I felt. And then came the guilt and gratitude. But the hate is still here. Even though I know Dogma didn't do anything wrong." Steele looks down in shame. "I'm the worst."

Aliyah carefully stringed her answer. "Does Dogma know this?"

Steele shook his head.

"Then you should talk to him. I'll see if Senator Organa can arrange a meeting time."

"And what good will come out of him knowing this?"

"Compassion." Aliyah softened her demeanour. "Right now, you're each suffering individually. Wouldn't it be easier to suffer together? As strange as it sounds?"

 _And she's done it again_. Steele thought. He exhaled calmly. "Thanks for talking with me, general."

"Thanks for being patient." Aliyah handed him the bottle. "Here."

Steele graciously accepted and prepared to take a sip.

"By the way, Compass put half the bar-tab on your account."

Steele choked. "He what!?"

"Yeah, he said it was all on him. But…he grossly underestimated the costs."

"And he didn't ask me? How did he even—ugh! Once this is over, he's scrubbing toilets for a month."

_**Next time on The Clone's Hero, Dogma's trial continues. This time, the defense comes back stronger than before. But so did the prosecution. And they introduced a game-changing witness…** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone, who contributed to giving me suggestions for Dogma's id number last chapter! I couldn't choose a single idea so I combined several and added my own taste!
> 
> Here's why I chose CT-5140 (Got this idea from Jane Yolen's The Devil's Arithmetic):
> 
> 5 - Dogma was part of 501st
> 
> 1 - But now, he believes he's a 1: he is alone
> 
> 4 - As a result of killing Krell in Season 4
> 
> 0 - But he hopes to overcome these horrible events, and start over, building his way up again from 0


	19. Trial: Day Two (Aftermath of Umbara pt4)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N. Good news! My internet's now behaving better so I can finally catch up on The Clone Wars Season 7! (No spoilers please)
> 
> Bad news. My summer workload has increased exponentially. Three uni courses, two music theory courses, five extracurricular computer courses, and maybe freeway driving lessons? Working on the arc after this one will be a HUGE CHALLENGE at this point.
> 
> I'm not trying to say I'll be going on a hiatus longer than my last one. But I just want you guys to know what's currently on my plate.
> 
> Just remember that motivation is a huge factor in my desire to write. And kudos and comments deliver motivation by the bucketful!
> 
> See you all next time! :)
> 
> \- MiraLake
> 
> PS. We're in the second half of the arc now. So if you have ideas for future arcs, please let me know!

**Trial: Day Two (Aftermath of Umbara pt4)**

_**And of course, there's the ultimate liar** _

Senator Organa was walking Steele to Dogma's cell. He went over the rules of the meeting one more time.

"Remember, you're not a witness for either side."

"Got it."

"You're only there to talk about personal feelings pertaining to the late general."

"Got it."

"And. Whatever words you two exchange in there can't be said to anyone, save for me or General Skywalker."

"Got it."

They were in front of the large opaque cell door. The guards unlocked it for them and Steele walked inside.

Senator Organa said one final reminder, "You have 3 minutes, commander. Make it count."

The door closed. And a large timer displayed on the wall. Counting down from 3 minutes.

"Commander Steele…?" A tired Dogma sat on the edge of his prison bed. "Come to see me again?"

"Mmhm. I wanted to apologize for how blunt I was with you back on Kamino." Steele took out a chair and sat a comfortable distance away.

Dogma continued to look at the wall. "You were pretty soft. Those prosecutors yesterday were blunt."

"So are their assistants. Two of them tried to get me to testify against you last night. But anyway, let's not talk about the trial."

"Then what can we talk about? The late General Krell?"

"Yes, actually." Steele carefully moved his chair closer. Dogma slowly looked towards him. "I—"

"—I did what I had to." Dogma interrupted. "Captain Rex was just standing there. Krell was taunting him needlessly. And I threw consequence to the wind."

Steele flashbacked to the moment he was about to kill Krell. Also throwing consequence to the wind. "I guess we're similar in that way when it comes to Krell."

"I'd think so. You're his old commander after all. It's shocking you weren't the one who killed him."

"I almost did." Steele scooted even closer. "But that chance slipped from me. And fell into your hands." He took a deep breath. "I really hate that it fell into your hands."

Dogma swallowed hard. "I knew it. You think I stole your kill."

"It's a petty reason to hate you, I know." Steele sighed. "I wanted to kill him because I was fed up with how he treated me and my men. You killed him because he was a traitor."

"He made me kill my brothers! He sabotaged the entire mission from the start! He—he killed clones without a second thought! And the entire time, I blindly followed him!" Dogma hung his head. "I killed him because he was a traitor…and because I hated myself for obeying him."

Steele stood up. He looked at the timer. 2 minutes left. But he may be able to wrap this up beforehand.

"We all obeyed him once in our lives. But now we don't have to anymore. Thanks to you, Dogma."

But Dogma didn't feel gratified. "I'm going to die."

"Not yet, soldier. Not yet."

~ O O O ~

The trial of Dogma continued at the exact time as it did the day before. Everyone sat in the same places as before.

And Palpatine commenced the trial, as before.

"The court is now in session."

More testimonies were given. More direct and cross-examinations were conducted. But this time, the defense had the court leaning towards their side.

Especially after Fives' cross-examination by Tarkin.

"You believe that no one is able to switch sides that quickly?" Tarkin challenged.

Fives stood confidently in the witness pod. "You say 'switch sides'. But I say 'learn'. Dogma learned his mistakes fast. He went from brainwashed to enlightened in less than 24 hours. It's soldiers like him that are the reason why the Republic's still standing! Soldiers who can think for themselves! And if you all want to rid your army of that, then you should've invested in a droid factory from the get-go."

In their individual seats, the Senators began to murmur to each other. Tentatively agreeing that Fives made a good point.

Tarkin forced himself to say. "Thank you. I have no further questions."

Fives returned to the witnesses' panel. Where he was quietly praised by his fellow witnesses, Anakin, and Senator Organa.

But their celebration was cut when Palpatine said, "The prosecution may call its next witness."

Everyone watched in silence as a lightly-bandaged male Umbaran was escorted to the witness pod. A silver translator droid was put next to him.

Palpatine said his usual piece to every witness. "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?"

The Umbaran spoke in his native language. The droid translated for the entire court to hear.

"He says, 'he swears'."

"Please state your name."

"'Eeno Vee'."

Senator Burtoni stood up, beginning the direct-examination. "Can you tell us who you were?"

"'I was an espionage expert for the Umbaran militia'."

"And why did you quit?"

"'I saw the error of my people's ways so I returned to the Republic'."

That appealed to the Senators. They gave their full attention to Vee and Burtoni.

"Mr. Vee, do you know the accused clone?"

Vee looked at Dogma. The droid kept translating. "'I do. But he doesn't know me. No one in his battalion does'."

"Can you elaborate?"

"'I was sent to the airbase they were temporarily residing in. To spy and gather intel for my people. But what I saw was something I never expected from the Republic'."

Rex immediately went over everything that happened at the Umbaran airbase. Were they really so careless to not notice this spy? Unless Vee's lying…

Senator Burtoni kept asking. "What did you see?"

"'I saw General Krell disregarding the lives of his own men. It's just like the defense witnesses said, he was a tyrant'."

The Senators began to talk. Palpatine silenced them to let Vee and the droid speak without interruption.

"'All the clones hated him. But none more so than the accused. Especially after Krell considered throwing their captain into the cold-cellar or even blinding him. To remind them who's truly in charge'."

Rex mumbled a confused, "What?"

The clone witnesses and spectators joined the Senators in crying out loud. Shouts of objection filled the air.

"Order in the court!" Palpatine thundered.

Vee and the droid continued. "'The accused seemed smart and interesting, so I kept observing. He faked his loyalty to Krell just to get close to him. To the point where he assembled a firing squad for his two-disobedient comrades. And tried to stop everyone else from pursuing Krell when he turned traitor'."

"Objection!" Senator Organa was fuming. "This is perjury!"

"Objection ruling deferred to after the cross-examination." Palpatine calmly answered.

Anakin clenched his jaw. If he can't contain his anger, he might accidentally use the Force to get the truth out of this guy during cross-examination.

"'As I was saying, the accused pretended to be loyal. And pretended to be a victim in Krell's crimes. He had everything calculated, down the very moment his captain hesitated in pulling the trigger'." Vee addressed the entire court. The droid followed suit. "He says, 'Senators, what Krell did was unforgivable. But to answer injustice with injustice? That's not the kind of soldier I'd want fighting in my army'."

Dogma was shaking from head to toe. He looked up at Vee and said in an unbelievably soft voice.

" _Liar._ "

But Tarkin still managed to catch it. "What was that, CT-5140?"

"Liar. LiAR. LIAR!" Dogma slammed his cuffed fists upon the podium.

The Senators all gasped. And the guards started restraining him but he continued to shout.

"'Faked my loyalty'? 'Pretended to be a victim?' Nothing but a buncha lies! They weren't able to get Krell's former commander to testify so they hired you instead? Is that it? Huh? How much are they paying you?"

"Guards!" Palpatine called for reinforcements.

At this point, the Senators stood up in panic. The defense witnesses were shouting obscenities at the prosecution witnesses. And they shouted right back at them.

"Take CT-5140 back to the prison!" Senator Burtoni ordered.

"No!" Dogma resisted the guards holding him. "I will not be unfairly tried for a crime that shouldn't even be a crime! Krell was a menace and if I didn't kill him, he'd be working for the Separatists right now as a pawn of Dooku! You ungrateful ignorant fools!"

Dogma broke free of his cuffs. The Senators started clamouring.

It was a riot. Witnesses, spectators, guards, and both teams were all at each other's throats. Rex attempted to make his way towards Dogma.

"Dogma! Stop resisting! Stop resisting!" He shouted before being subdued.

Up at the spectator's area, Steele caught sight of a single guard amongst the sea of angry faces. He was aiming a sniper rifle at Dogma.

"No! Don't!"

Steele shouted before a single shot was fired from the rifle.

It hit Dogma. Stunning him unconscious.

~ O O O ~

"This is clearly a case of perjury! Don't tell me otherwise!" Senator Organa shouted inside a private den.

In the room adjacent to that, Anakin and several clones waited for him to finish.

"You need to conduct an investigation—no, you're not listening to me!"

The conversation Senator Organa was having made Anakin's anxiety spike. A couple more minutes later, the conversation ended.

"I understand. Thank you for your time."

Senator Organa left the den. Anakin stood up. "Well?"

"Eeno Vee truly was an Umbaran spy. But I'm positive his story about Dogma and Krell is false. Unfortunately, we don't have any irrefutable evidence to prove that."

"What? Our eye-witnesses aren't enough?" Anakin's brows furrowed.

"I'm afraid not." Senator Organa turned to Rex. "Are there any security or prison footage back at the Umbaran airbase?"

Rex nodded. "Yes. But I doubt the Republic would send forces there to retrieve them. Especially now that the Umbarans have taken their base back."

Senator Organa looked exasperated. "This is outrageous."

"We worked so hard to get the Senators to even glance at us!" Fives shook his head. "Then that lying bastard comes in and ruins everything!"

"It really sucks." Jesse agreed.

No one was happy with their current situation. Senator Organa especially. He felt betrayed by the very government he works for.

"But Vee really was lying!" Kal stood up. "That story he made up about Krell wanting to put Captain Rex in the cold-cellar or blinding him? That's something Krell really did to my commander!"

"Do you have a conduct-report or holorecording for it?" Anakin eagerly asked.

Kal's face fell. "Uh. No…"

"We do have a recording!" Egad leapt forward. "Though, it's a fight. Between Krell and our commander."

 _General Kenobi, forgive me._ Cody thought before joining the conversation. "It's true. I recorded it. But the Jedi Council said to keep it confidential."

"Oh, we'll see about that," Anakin smirked. "Do you know where it's being kept?"

"You're gonna have to ask General Kenobi."

Anakin wasn't fazed by that. He'll get that recording from Obi-Wan even if he has to fight him for it!

Egad however, was starting to have second thoughts.

"Senator, general. Will the recording really help Dogma? I mean…the prosecution's trying to argue that clones are losing their minds around Krell…and in the recording, Commander Steele kind of went berserk…"

"You can show just the beginning," Cody explained. "They'll see Krell Force-choking Kal. They'll see how awful of a general he was."

"That could work." Senator Organa began taking notes. "It's not enough to prove Vee's insincerity, but it should be enough to get the court back on our side." He put his notepad away. "General Skywalker, get ready for a long night. We've got our work cut out for us. Everyone else, try to get some rest."

One by one, the clones left the room. And returned to their dorm-suites.

Rex stayed behind to ask something. "Senator. May I speak with Dogma?"

~ O O O ~

It was difficult for Senator Organa to arrange a meeting for Rex and Dogma. But he managed it anyway.

Rex entered the cold metal cell his soldier was in. Dogma sat at a table with his face flat upon its surface.

"Dogma…" Rex went up to him.

"He's a liar." Dogma mumbled without lifting his head.

"Yes, he is. We're working hard to reverse the damage he's done right now. But in the meantime, we need you to stay strong."

"...You once told me that I did the right thing."

Rex put a hand on Dogma's shoulder. "I did. I also told you to never let them tell you otherwise. Don't forget that."

"I'll try."

"You'll try your hardest. Promise me."

"I'll try that as well."

They talked some more. Mainly Rex encouraging Dogma to not lose faith in them. And Dogma weakly agreeing.

Finally, time was up.

"Stay strong. And never forget," Rex said before leaving the cell.

After that visit, Rex went back to the dorm building. It was night by now. The entire way back, he couldn't stop thinking about tomorrow's trial.

As soon as the building came into view, Rex bumped into Steele. Who was once again, walking around the block.

"Rex, where'd you come from?"

"The prison. Why are you out?"

"The night air is great." Steele redirected the topic back to Rex. "Were you there to speak with Dogma?"

Rex sighed and nodded. "I wish I could do more for him. But I can't do anything except to testify! Chances are, I'm going to be called up tomorrow. So if I fail to convince the court he's not guilty, it's over!"

"Hey, don't worry too much. If anyone can prove Krell's the villain, it's you." Steele assured.

But deep down, he knew that the Senators would have a hard time sympathizing with Dogma. Especially after his outburst today.

"Thanks. But honestly, I'm starting to lose hope." Rex looked at the night sky. "Where's justice?"

"I wish I knew. See you tomorrow." Steele began to walk away.

But before he could completely leave, Rex called him back. "Hey, wait! Can I ask you for a request?"

"What kind of request?"

Rex grabbed him by the arm and pulled them to a quieter section. "Dogma needs all the help he can get. Not just from the defense and witnesses. Do you…understand what I'm saying?"

Steele understood. But he was still tentative. "If it's within my power. I'll help him."

"Thank you. I really mean it."

~ O O O ~

Despite what Steele said to Rex minutes ago. He has no idea how to help Dogma. Specifically in a way that doesn't draw unwanted attention to him.

Steele ended up walking all the way to a convenience store. If he couldn't get any ideas, might as well get a snack.

Right as Steele entered, he saw Boil finish making a purchase.

"Hey." Steele waved at him.

"Oh, hey commander." Boil grabbed his purchase and walked towards him.

"What are you doing here?"

"Couldn't sleep. So I got myself something that'd help." Boil showcased the packet of sleeping pills he just purchased.

"Understandable. Want to head back together? I don't feel like buying anything now."

"Sure, let's go."

The two clones left the store and walked down the street towards the building. Politely conversing as they went.

"So, Boil. Were you in the friendly-fire incident on Umbara?"

"No. But my friend, Waxer was. He led the platoon against Captain Rex's." Boil felt his dinner coming back up. He forced it down before revealing Waxer's fate. "He's dead."

Guilt threatened to consume Steele again. _Another victim of Krell. Rex was right. Where's justice?_

"I'm sorry about your friend."

"I'm sorry too. Sorry at myself, that I couldn't keep him alive…" The calm facade Boil initially had on was cracking.

"Do you want to sit down?" Steele gently asked.

Boil shook his head and kept walking. As they neared the building, he began talking again.

"Have you ever been to Ryloth, sir?"

"My men did. Not me though."

"Well, I was there once to liberate the Twi'leks from Separatist control. Waxer and I met this little girl who helped us complete the mission. He became quite fond of her." Boil chuckled. "He might've adopted her if our general and commander weren't such rule-sticklers."

Steele smiled at how wholesome that was. "He seemed like a caring soldier."

"He was. After we left Ryloth, he drew an image of that little Twi'lek girl on his helmet. I remember him staying up all night to make it perfect." Boil laughed again.

But that laugh quickly faded. His expression turned sorrowful.

"And I also remember, him talking to it. Before every mission. Every battle. He'd look at the picture and say, 'I'll be back soon, kid. I'll be back real soon.'" Tears streamed down Boil's face. "He'll never be back. He'll never see that kid again. And neither will she."

This story…Steele nearly lost all his composure. But he kept it up. Boil needed a supportive hand right now.

They made it back to the building. Steele took Boil to the lobby restroom first to splash some water on his face. Then he walked him to the elevators.

"You should talk to Cody." He suggested before the elevator doors opened. "Let him how you're feeling."

"Are you coming, sir?" Boil stepped into the elevator.

Steele shook his head. "Not yet. There's something I need to do right now."

The doors closed. Steele walked outside the building again. He contacted Aliyah.

"General?"

"Steele? What is it?"

"I need your permission for something."

~ O O O ~

Senator Burtoni left the office late tonight. She and Tarkin were kept there overtime due to the accusations of perjury against Eeno Vee.

"Finally, that's over." She sighed in relief.

She, Tarkin, and their entourage of guards exited the Senate building. Preparing to go home for the night.

"Senator Burtoni? Adjutant General Tarkin?"

Out of the shadows, stepped Steele. He held out his hands to show he's unarmed.

"We need to talk."

_**Next time on The Clone's Hero, the trial of Dogma is coming to a conclusion. But will it end with him being pardoned or blindfolded in front of a firing squad…?** _


	20. The Sentencing (Aftermath of Umbara pt5)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N. Next chapter marks the end of this arc. Which means it's back to the drawing board for me. With all the ideas I've been getting, I'm thinking of releasing short-arcs and one-shots in between this arc and the next major arc I've got planned.
> 
> Those short-arcs and one-shots will be based on your ideas as well as some of my own.
> 
> I forgot to mention before, but if your ideas are anything related to Order 66 or events near the end of the Clone Wars, I can't take it. Because I already have my ending written out.
> 
> All I need is help in getting there!
> 
> Anyways, thanks for reading! Remember to leave kudos and comments if you enjoyed!
> 
> And see you all next time! :)
> 
> \- MiraLake

**The Sentencing (Aftermath of Umbara pt5)**

_**Where's justice? Look down, you need to lift it up so everyone can see** _

Palpatine commenced the third—and probably final—session of Dogma's trial.

"Due to suspicions surrounding Eeno Vee's integrity, the court has decided to invalidate his testimony, until further investigations are conducted."

The Senators politely nodded. But Anakin wasn't fooled. Vee's lies have already made their impact. Now it's up to them to try and erase it.

"The defense may call its next witness."

_~∞Direct-examination of defendant witness…∞~_

"Kix, tell us how bad the first attack Krell ordered was." Senator Organa insisted.

"It was in every way you can think of, 'bad'. We were being blown up and shot at from all directions. The wounded men couldn't be moved to safety and were as good as dead."

"And what was Krell's response to that?"

"He told us to keep going."

Some of the more empathetic Senators mumbled inaudible words to the ones who are still on the fence. Perhaps they can be swayed back to the defense.

_~∞Cross-examination of defendant witness…∞~_

Senator Burtoni interviewed Cody. "You weren't present at the friendly-fire incident. Or at General Krell's attempted arrest. Yet, you still believe the accused is not guilty?"

"I'll believe that into my grave." Cody meant it.

"So you believe Krell is at fault for Dogma's crimes? You're going to hold a dead Jedi accountable?" Senator Burtoni challenged.

"Dead or alive. Krell is accountable for everything he's done. His own death doesn't erase all the deaths that he caused." Cody thought about Waxer. "If Dogma's going to be held responsible for his actions. Then Krell needs to be even more so."

_~∞Direct-examination of prosecution witness…∞~_

"You say you're a former trainer at the Kamino clone facility?" Tarkin asked.

The bounty hunter, Eres Ossk, nodded. "Yes. Until I was replaced by the new ones that now work there."

"Did you ever train CT-5140?"

"I did. I worked with him a little more than the others though."

"And why is that?"

"The guy had his issues. Overall, he's obedient and patient, but I always had this feeling that he was hiding something. And after learning about Umbara, boy was I right."

_~∞Cross-examination of prosecution witness…∞~_

"You think Dogma is guilty without a doubt?" Senator Organa raised a brow.

"Yes, of course." Kaminoan doctor, Nala Se answered calmly.

"What makes you think that?"

"He was the one who killed his general. And from my previous tests with him, I did indeed find signs of instability."

Senator Organa took a deep breath. "Do you know what caused those signs to show up?"

"It could be because of his early development. Or training."

"So by proxy, you're also to blame for Krell's death."

Nala Se was taken back.

Senator Burtoni shouted. "Objection!"

"Objection overruled." Palpatine gave the floor to Senator Organa.

He nodded in thanks. "Doctor, you said so yourself that Dogma's instability may have been caused by his conditioning. Which—unless I'm mistaken—your people are in charge of."

"Yes, we are. But." Nala Se braced herself. "CT-5140 was still the one who pulled the trigger."

Senator Organa wrapped things up. "I have no further questions."

And with that, Nala Se was dismissed. Senator Organa took a seat.

From the spectator's stands, the Senators were thinking over Nala Se's words critically. She was the last witness from the prosecution. But not the last witness of the trial.

"The defense may call its final witness," Palpatine announced.

Rex felt his heart convulsing as he stood up from his seat. And was escorted to the witness's pod. Anakin stood up as well, for he was going to be his direct-examiner.

"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?" Palpatine demanded.

"I swear." Rex poured every ounce of honesty into that.

"Please state your designation number."

"...CT-7567."

Anakin moved towards Rex's pod. "Captain Rex, you were present from start to finish on the Umbara operation. Correct?"

"Correct."

"When Krell first took over as interim general, did you or any of your men try to oppose him?"

"No. We were willing to give him our loyalty."

"And when did that start to waver?"

Rex thought about that. "Somewhere between his reckless battleplans and constant disregard for our lives, I guess. Honestly, it was a gradual process. I did my best to keep the bonds strong between my men and the general. But their loyalty was already on the ropes."

"And yours?"

"I never disobeyed Krell. Not in a direct manner. But I did have to pull some strings when he started being more ruthless than necessary."

Anakin prepared himself for the next question. "When would you say your loyalty was completely severed?"

…" _Stop! We're shooting our own men!"..._

"When Waxer told me General Krell was the one who gave them the order. That the Umbarans were wearing clone armour. It was the exact thing Krell told me." Rex looked directly at Anakin. "He wanted us to kill each other. He wanted the Republic to lose."

That was Anakin's cue to take out the holorecorder. "Krell made you guys kill each other. And he also had no problem killing you guys with his own hands. Would you say without a doubt, he's a monster?"

"Without a doubt."

Anakin presented the player to Rex. "Then I can assume you'd find this footage nothing out of the ordinary?"

At a spectator's pod, Mace was shocked to see the same recorder that held the fight between Krell and Steele in Anakin's hands. He glanced to his side, at Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan gave him an innocent look. As if to say, 'I have no idea how they got possession of it.'

The recorder was given to the speaker, who connected it to a projector for everyone to see.

_"...probably kill you for your insubordination. Make you an example to the others."_

_Kal hung in midair, held in a life-threatening Force-choke by Krell._

" _I…knew…you'd…say…that…"_

_He struggled to breathe against all odds. But was slowly losing consciousness._

The recording ended there.

Anakin didn't give the Senators the chance to discuss before he spoke. "That is the kind of general Krell was to his clones. Or do you find that to be out of character for him?"

"No." Rex was also shocked by the footage. It was his first time seeing it too. "That's the kind of Krell we faced on Umbara. The kind that made Dogma shoot him."

Anakin picked up the player. "Your Excellency, I'd like to have this recording marked as defense's Exhibit C and that it be admitted into evidence."

"Does the prosecution object?" Palpatine looked at Senator Burtoni and Tarkin.

They shook their heads. Senator Burtoni answered, "No, Your Excellency."

"Then it shall be admitted as defense's Exhibit C."

The speaker came up to take the player out of Anakin's hands. He proceeded to hand it off to a group of assistants for safekeeping.

The direct-examination was almost over. Anakin only had one more question left.

"Do you believe the accused is guilty?"

"Can I ask for clarification?"

Anakin could see what Rex's angle was. "Do you think Dogma's guilty on the charge of killing General Krell?"

"No."

Gasps and mumbles of confusion came from the Senators. But Rex didn't lie. He interpreted 'killing' as something done in cold-blood. Which Dogma didn't do.

And Anakin knew that too.

"Thank you. Your Excellency, I have no further questions."

Anakin stepped down and Palpatine turned to the prosecution pod.

"The prosecution may cross-examine the witness."

Tarkin stood up. Rex stared down at him, returning the man's cold-hard look with equal strength.

"Captain," Tarkin began the cross-examination. "You're a pretty battle-hardened clone, aren't you?"

"Yes." Rex was careful to not answer too quickly. He can't afford any mess-ups now.

"Thanks to the never-ending field experiences with General Skywalker?"

"He and I have been through many life-threatening situations. Which we always made out of alive."

Tarkin rested one elbow on his hand. "By 'life-threatening', do you mean reckless?"

Now Rex is starting to see what Tarkin's going for. He's gotta tread these waters lightly.

"Battles seldom play out as planned, any military-man would know that."

"Yes, and as a military man, I do know that." Tarkin paced across the floor. "But I also know that General Skywalker is rather careless and likes to do things…incautiously."

Rex kept his cool. "That's just the way he works."

"So you're saying he's reckless. Well from the reports, General Krell was the same. So please enlighten me, captain. If both generals had similar tactics then why were you all so against him?"

From the defense witnesses' pod, the clones used all their mental strength to not throw a chair at Tarkin. Rex thought his answer through.

"The only thing they had in common was rashness in planning. It's true, both generals had similar tactics. But in the case of General Skywalker, he'd fight _with us_. Where the battle was most brutal. Not watch from above in safety and chide us when things aren't progressing fast enough."

The Senators gave Rex their full attention. Anakin smiled with pride.

Tarkin didn't let any of that affect him. "Hm. Then based on all that, I can assume you're used to making hard calls?"

"Yes. It happens a lot in war."

"So why did you hesitate in pulling the trigger, captain?" That was something Rex wasn't prepared for. Tarkin didn't hold back. "You were the one who called for Krell's execution, yet you yourself weren't the executioner! Do you realize that if you had just pulled the trigger, then your soldier, CT-5140, or 'Dogma', wouldn't be standing here on trial? Do you?"

The court clamoured. Palpatine called for order. And Tarkin waited for Rex's answer. Knowing that there isn't a right one.

"Well, captain? What do you have to say?"

Rex looked at the defense. Then the witnesses. Then the prosecution. The Senators. And finally, at Dogma.

He was ready to answer.

"I didn't pull the trigger because unlike the late General Krell, I had morals to uphold. And I wasn't willing to sacrifice those morals—even if it was to get rid of someone who's done unspeakable deeds. But Dogma was." Rex quietly cleared his throat. "And now he's paying the price for being brave…and right."

There wasn't a single oblivious ear in the room. Everyone heard and took Rex's words to heart.

Dogma mouthed a 'thank you' to him. He knew he made many mistakes on Umbara. And yet his captain was still willing to stand in front of the entire court and defend him.

"Thank you. I have no further questions." Tarkin backed down.

Rex returned to the witnesses' stand. And everyone's respect for him rose about twenty-fold. Including Anakin's.

Palpatine silenced any final discussions the Senators were having. Then he spoke to the two sides.

"Are the prosecution and defense ready for their final arguments?"

"Yes," Senators Burtoni and Organa respectively said.

Palpatine gestured to Senator Burtoni. "Prosecution, you may begin."

"Thank you, Your Excellency," the Kaminoan Senator faced the entire court. "Senators, we have spent three days trying to prove beyond a reasonable doubt, that the accused, CT-5140 is guilty of killing his general. All the testimonies and evidence we've presented were only to erase your hesitation. Yes, even Eeno Vee. Whose words may be exaggerations of the truth, but still holds some truth. The bottom line is that CT-5140 was the one who held the blaster, the one who pulled the trigger, the one who put the bolt through General Krell's back. Reasons aside, a soldier—clone or not—killing their superior officer, is a serious offense. And if we don't lay down the hammer for such offenses, then we're denying the very foundations of our government. Making us no better than our sworn enemies, the Confederacy of Independent Systems. I want you all to think about this."

The Senators nodded respectfully to the speech. Their faces made it impossible to see what they're thinking of. Rex's testimony is being put to the test.

Senator Organa stood as soon as his opponent took her seat. He also turned to the court.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the Senate. Over the past three days, we have heard many stories from both sides. Stories that told us of Dogma's instability, and General Krell's lack of military ethics. It's been a series of back-and-forth persuasion. However, we're not here to decide the accused's fate based on fear and discrimination. We're here to decide his fate based on facts. It's true, none of the facts presented deny Dogma being the one who killed General Krell. But they also don't deny the monstrosities Krell subjected his soldiers through. Both during and _before_ the Umbara operation. A soldier killing their superior officer is a serious offense. But dooming the very government he fights for, is an even greater one. Dogma chose the former."

Everyone nodded with equal respect to that speech. But this time, some of their faces were showing signs of approval. A small glimmer of hope.

"Senators, it is now up to you to decide whether or not the accused is guilty of the crime he's charged with. The verdict must be unanimous." Palpatine explained.

The speaker stepped up. "You may leave and discuss for as long as you need. Upon return, you must cast your votes."

The Senators all stood up to leave the courtroom.

~ O O O ~

After what felt like an eternity of deliberating, the Senators finally returned. They went to their assigned seats which held their voting screen.

As soon as everyone was inside, they pressed one of the two options present on the screen.

Dogma's hands turned numb as he listened to all the beeps of options being pressed. Finally, Palpatine announced the verdict.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the court, we have a hung jury. I repeat, a hung jury."

So the verdict wasn't unanimous. The Senators were severely divided in the fate of Dogma's status.

The majority of them appealed to the defense's argument. They believed that Dogma's killing was justified and were moved by Rex's words.

But there were a few who agreed with the prosecution's argument for absolute justice. And because of those few, the verdict remained undecided.

"Perhaps the Senators would like more time in deliberating?" Palpatine asked the Foreman Senator.

"Yes, we would." The Foreman replied.

"Then you may all leave."

And the Senators all left again.

~ O O O ~

This time, they didn't take as long to return. But it still felt pretty long to everyone who remained in the courtroom.

Once again, they cast their votes. And once again, Palpatine read the results.

"I'm afraid we have a hung jury again." He announced.

This time, the Senators and spectators started to complain. Some of them even began pointing fingers at each other.

"Order!" Palpatine shouted. "Since we have not reached a verdict twice. I will offer these choices. To everyone, we can close this trial and schedule a retrial. To the prosecution and defense, you may present your arguments one more time. To the accused, you have the opportunity to accept the plea bargain."

One by one, Palpatine addressed the people whom he associated with each choice. The Senators refused to have a retrial.

"The verdict and sentencing will happen today!" The foreman insisted.

The prosecution and defense were currently deciding whether or not to go with the choice they're presented with.

"What do you think, General Skywalker?" Senator Organa asked quietly.

"Can we win if we argue one more time?"

"I hate to say this, but…I'm not sure. To be honest, I'm a little shocked we have a hung jury."

Anakin looked at Dogma, then said, "If we do this, we need to make the verdict unanimous."

"The prosecution will aim for that too." Senator Organa had to be real here. "If we present again, and fail to make the verdict 'not guilty', you know what Dogma's sentence will be."

This was hitting Anakin really hard. "I know…then I guess, we're left to no choice."

"It's not the ideal ending. But at least it won't end in severity."

Anakin painfully nodded. He left the pod to Dogma's podium and whispered something in his ear.

The defense and prosecution refused to present again. Palpatine goes to the third option and looks down at Dogma.

"CT-5140, you are charged with fragging your superior officer, Jedi Master and General, Pong Krell. Who served as your substitute during the operation to retake Umbara. How do you plead?"

Dogma wasn't stupid. He knew that all odds were stacked against him. There was no escaping this. No way of turning this around.

He killed Krell. That's the fact.

"Guilty."

The entire court muttered something along the lines of pity and accusation. From the defense witnesses' stand, Rex looked down in agony.

Anakin and Senator Organa were silent.

"Do you understand by pleading guilty, you are giving up the right for a jury trial? And will be sentenced according to the plea agreement that was written and reviewed by both sides?" Palpatine asked.

"Yes." Dogma answered shakily.

Palpatine looked from the defense to the prosecution pods. Both nodding to say that none of them are against this.

"Very well. CT-5140, you have pleaded guilty in response to the plea bargain. I hereby sentence you to dishonourable discharge from the 501st Legion. All achievements, ranks, and rewards stripped. You will build your way up again from the very bottom, in another division."

Dogma, Anakin, Senator Organa, the witnesses, and everyone in the court were visibly confused.

"Wasn't the plea bargain sentence supposed to be life without parole?" Anakin whispered to Senator Organa.

They looked over at Senator Burtoni and Tarkin. Both of which refused to make eye contact with them.

Just then, several guards walked down the path towards Dogma's podium. In the centre of them was…Steele.

~ O O O ~

_The night before…_

"Eeno Vee's story is false," Steele said bluntly.

"How do you know?" Tarkin challenged.

"Because Krell did it to me. Not Rex." Steele walked towards Senator Burtoni. "You're from Kamino. I wouldn't be surprised if someone there told you about my past with him."

Senator Burtoni asked her guards to come closer. "So what? You can't prove any of that right now."

"Then maybe we can prove it later." Steele stopped walking. "Vee will be charged with perjury and I'll bring in everyone who knows about my story. Which includes the Jedi Council and your own prime minister. Your reputations will be tarnished."

Tarkin looked at Senator Burtoni. Vee was her witness, not his.

"Can we come to some sort of arrangement then?" Tarkin asked.

Finally, this is what Steele came for. He knew this isn't allowed but…if they've already broken the rules, he might as well play dirty too.

"What's the current plea bargain sentence?" Steele asked.

"Life sentence without parole," Tarkin answered.

"Not anymore." Steele handed him a datapad which lays out the new sentence. "In the case where the Senators fail to reach a verdict and Dogma pleads guilty, this will be his sentence. Update His Excellency."

"And if the Senators reach a verdict?" Senator Burtoni challenged.

"Then the trial is over, and if they said Dogma's guilty, I will see you two and that lying Umbaran in court."

"And if they say he's not guilty?"

"Then we'll put this mess behind us. And refocus on the war."

Senator Burtoni and Tarkin took another look at the datapad. They've come to an answer.

"We accept."

~ O O O ~

Palpatine kept explaining. "You shall start anew, under the jurisdiction of Jedi Knight and General, Aliyah Korentayer. All misconduct, disorderly behaviour, and poor performance will be noted by her and reported back to us. From this day to the day you die."

Dogma stood still like a statue while Steele unlocked his handcuffs with a keycard.

"Welcome to the 304th." He said as he threw the cuffs away.

He gently led Dogma out of the courtroom with guards still surrounding them. Palpatine announced the end of the trial.

"The court is now adjourned."

As the two clones walked, Steele turned to look at the defense witnesses' stand. Rex made eye contact with him and mouthed a 'thank you'. Steele nodded in response.

He and Dogma were nearing the exit now. Suddenly, someone apparated in front of them.

It was Krell's ghostly figure again. He looked down at Steele with disdain.

But Steele looked right back at him. He pulled Dogma a little closer.

" _I've won, general. I've won."_

They stepped through the ghost. It disappeared upon contact.

_**Next time on The Clone's Hero, the trial is over and Dogma successfully evades the death sentence. However, he now has to say goodbye to his old comrades. And must continue the war with new ones…** _


	21. New Addition (Aftermath of Umbara pt6)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N. Whew! And another arc is finished! I know it's a lot shorter compared to the previous one, but that's because I was originally going to end this story after the intro arc!
> 
> I've decided to put a series of one-shots/short-arcs between this and the next major arc because I think it'd be nice to bring in some light-hearted stuff. (So please put forth your ideas. I've already started reading them and deciding which ones to use. Just remember: don't involve Order 66. I already have an ending planned.)
> 
> Especially after all the serious issues dealt in this arc, and more serious issues that'll be coming up in the Clone Force 99 arc.
> 
> As of right now, I have in total, 5 major arcs planned. Intro and Aftermath of Umbara are done. Clone Force 99 is the next one. And I have two more after that.
> 
> Thanks for reading this far and please leave kudos and comments if you enjoyed! Also, if you questions and don't feel comfortable leaving them in the comments, just email me at: fanficwriteronthelake@gmail.com
> 
> I shall see you all next time! :)
> 
> \- MiraLake

**New Addition (Aftermath of Umbara pt6)**

_**Some people don't deserve second chances, and some do** _

Dogma sat in a room with the prosecutors, defense, Palpatine, a couple of members from the Jedi Council, Aliyah, and Steele. They were discussing the next steps of his sentence.

"CT-5140 shall be placed under careful watch by General Korentayer. Any hints of suspicious or treasonous behaviour will result in his immediate detainment." Palpatine explained.

"I'd like to know why the plea bargain sentence was changed without our notice," Senator Organa demanded.

"What's this? The defense wasn't notified of the change?" Palpatine looked at Senator Burtoni.

She answered coolly. "I must've failed to contact you, Senator Organa. Apologies on my part. The change was rather last-minute."

"What made you decide to change the sentence?" Anakin asked.

"As a Kaminoan, I suddenly realized that my people put a lot of work in creating our clone army. And we have a lot of pride in it. So we shouldn't discard a creation without giving it a second chance. As long as it— _he_ is willing to plead guilty and take responsibility for his actions. That's why."

Steele was glad his helmet was on. So nobody could see his satisfied smirk.

Only he knew that the prosecution 'failed to contact the defense' because their reputations were on the line. And he was willing to go to court to prove their lies. IF Dogma's final verdict was guilty.

Nobody questioned more from Burtoni or Tarkin. So they moved onto the next topic: Dogma's limitations and imposed rules in his new legion.

"He's not allowed to lead even small squadrons. And anything he does while in battle, requires supervision by a clone with at least one year of experience in the legion. Unless General Korentayer orders otherwise." Mace Windu read from a datapad.

Aliyah nodded. Mace continued reading.

"If circumstances occur where he is separated from his general, commander, or any clone with at least a year of experience. Then he is to assume the closest able-bodied soldier as his supervisor. If circumstances occur where he is alone. He is to prioritize regrouping with his legion and nothing else."

"It seems a bit overboard," Anakin remarked.

"Let Korentayer be the judge of that." Mace threw back.

"It does seem a bit overboard," Aliyah admitted. But quickly took it back when Steele coughed loudly to cover up his general's poor choice of words. "But…I completely understand. I'll comply with the rules. And so will Dogma."

"Then we're done here." Palpatine stood up from the table. "I wish you and the newest addition to your legion, good luck."

While everyone else was leaving, Anakin went to Dogma. He embraced him tightly.

"You were a good soldier, Dogma. You really were. I'll miss having you around."

Dogma hugged his former general back. "I'll miss you too, sir."

They eventually let go and prepared to leave. Dogma left the room with Steele so Anakin could talk to Aliyah in private.

"He really is a good soldier." He asserted. "I hope he realizes that again while under your command."

"I'll make sure he does. Don't worry about a thing, Skywalker."

"Think he'll fit in with the rest?"

Aliyah nodded. "It might be difficult at first. But yes, he'll definitely fit in."

That made Anakin at peace. "Then I'm not complaining about this trial's conclusion. Thank you. And thank your commander."

~ O O O ~

Rex and several of his men sat patiently in the lobby of the dorm-suite building. They were still in shock by the trial's conclusion.

None of them had spoken a word since then.

The front door opened. And in walked Steele and Dogma. Who was uncuffed at last.

Tup was the first one out of his seat. He rushed up to Dogma and hugged him as if he just came back from the dead.

Everyone else soon followed. Dogma never felt so happy to see his brothers.

"Thank you," he cried. "Thank you all for defending me."

"No, thank _you_. For believing in us and yourself." Rex wrapped his arms around his former soldier. "We're gonna miss you."

Steele watched patiently from behind. Even though, he's on a time limit. He's more than willing to negotiate for a few extra minutes.

After all, it'll be a long time before Dogma can see his former comrades again.

Rex soon ends his embrace with Dogma so others can take a turn. He goes up to Steele.

"I can't thank you enough."

"Thank Boil. If it's not for his story, I wouldn't have had the courage to do what I did."

Rex nodded. "I'll be sure to thank Boil too. And I'll let General Skywalker know this was because of you."

"Be careful, though. I probably broke like ten rules getting them to change the sentence like that."

"Yet you did it anyway."

"Yeah. But honestly, it was more like a fail-safe. I was really confident you'd be able to sway the Senators with your testimony."

"I did. General Skywalker told me that the majority voted for Dogma being not guilty." Rex shook his head. "Unfortunately, the verdict needed to be unanimous."

"That's what I was afraid of. Some Senators have really thick skulls. But at least they're in the minority this time."

Rex nodded in agreement. Then took a look at Dogma, who was in the centre of a group hug. All his huggers were wishing him luck in his new legion.

"Stay safe with General Korentayer."

"You don't need to be worried about anything. They're nice folks, they really are."

"We'll come visit whenever possible. Ok?"

Seeing Dogma alive and free made Rex feel at peace.

"Hey," he said his final thoughts to Steele. "Take care of him."

"I'll do my best," Steele promised.

Less than a minute was remaining until Dogma had to go. Everyone was sad. But it was a bittersweet sadness.

This isn't goodbye. It's just a 'see you later'.

~ O O O ~

The trial was over. Which it's back to fighting the war. Anakin and Obi-Wan got word of an alliance between the neutral world, Kiros, and the Separatists.

They and their men were dispatched almost immediately.

Dogma said his final farewells to his brothers before boarding the Republic star destroyer. Where his new legion awaited him.

The destroyer took off for Kamino.

Dogma sat in a private room, waiting for his new general to enter. Which she did, seconds later.

"Hello Dogma, I'm Aliyah Korentayer, your new general. I know you already know that. But it never hurts to make things formal."

"Yeah," Dogma agreed softly. The events of the trial still haven't left him completely.

Aliyah took a seat. "I'm just going to go over some quick intros. Since this is an onboarding."

Dogma nodded.

"Ok. I think I'll address the elephant in the room first. Don't be afraid of us. We're not going to judge you because of the trial. In fact, we all believe that you were justified in your actions, I can assure you that."

"Thanks," Dogma answered.

Aliyah smiled. "Now, about the monthly report. I won't be judgmental when writing it. But I won't be biased either. It's just going to be a summary of your actions over the past month. That's all there is to it."

Dogma wasn't sure about that. "No. The Senate will be sure to magnify anything that resembles sedition."

"Not if I can help it."

"No, you don't understand!" Dogma began speaking faster. "They'll find a way! They always manage to find a way, sir—miss—general—blast it—"

"—Calm down, calm down."

"I'm sorry."

"You got nothing to be sorry for."

Dogma took a couple of deep breaths at Aliyah's encouragement. Then resumed the talk after his heart rate returned to normal.

"What kind of tasks will I be doing?" Dogma asked.

"Think of the tasks you've done when you were just a rookie. You're starting over here, going from the bottom-up. And I have no doubt that you'll get back to where you were in the 501st. Maybe even surpass that."

This was all Dogma's wanted. A second chance to right his wrongs.

"I'll do my best to not make a bad rep for you or the 304th." He promised.

"I'll hold you to that. Commander Steele will brief you on your first task once we reach HQ."

"Got it."

"Good." Aliyah stuck out her hand. "Welcome, to the team, Dogma."

Dogma didn't move for a second. He couldn't believe it. A couple hours ago, he was in a courtroom, expecting the death sentence. Now he's the newest member of the 304th.

He tentatively reached out to his new general's hand, and shook it. Though awkward at first, he eventually felt at ease and happy.

"Thank you, general."

~ O O O ~

The instance the ship landed on Kamino, Dogma went off to look for his new commander. Steele made it easy to find him.

"Dogma, over here!" Steele waved him over.

"Sir!" Dogma went up to him. They walked inside the building. "General Korentayer said that you got work for me."

"Did she brief you on how things are gonna work from now on too?"

"Yes, sir."

"So you know it's ok to loosen up around me, right?" Steele pointed at the way Dogma's holding himself next to him.

Dogma immediately flinched. "Sorry, sir!"

"Enough with the 'sir's'."

"Yes, s—" Dogma catches himself this time. "Um…what should I call you then?"

Steele waved his hand. "Nothing. No 'sir', 'commander', or any of that stuff. Unless it's something serious."

They passed the training rooms and mess hall. Dogma still didn't feel too good about dropping the honorific.

"Um, so do you make everyone else in the 304th do the same?" He asked timidly.

"No. This rule is specifically for you," Steele explained as they turned around the corner. "Back in the 501st, you were quite the rule abider, weren't you?"

…" _Because you were the biggest fool of them all, Dogma! I needed blind loyalty like yours to make my plan work!"..._

Dogma shook those memories from his head. "I was…"

"And Krell took advantage of that."

To both their surprise, Steele managed to utter Krell's name without lacing it with hate. He looked over at Dogma.

"But you broke free. And we're going to make sure you never get locked up again. So let loose, relax, and enough with formalities."

Dogma looked around. He could see that they were nearing the restrooms. Steele opened the pristine white door. They entered the restroom.

"Dogma, you may be starting from rock-bottom again. But you're not going to be just a follower this time, alright?"

"Alright." Dogma said with more confidence this time.

"Good, because your first task is to make sure he does his job properly!"

Steele pointed in front of them. On the floor, in front of a toilet, was Compass. He was scrubbing the base of the white-throne with a sponge.

Dogma blinked. "Um, I'm in charge of him…?"

"Hey, commander! Hey, Dogma!" Compass waved a soapy gloved hand at them. "Looks like I'm the first person you're getting to know. Sorry that we're meeting this way."

"Can it." Steele snapped. "I still haven't forgiven you yet."

Compass sighed and returned to scrubbing the toilet. Steele crossed his arms while explaining to Dogma.

"Make sure he gets every inch of the surface. If he misses a spot, point it out to him. It needs to be so clean, you can see your reflection in it, before he can get a break."

Dogma nodded. "Ok. But…"

"But…?"

"There's a lot of toilets here. And this is only one of many restrooms—"

"—Which is why I'm making him do this." Steele glared at Compass. "You don't wanna know how much this little punk spent on drinks back at Coruscant. And he had the audacity to pay for half of it with _my_ money!"

Now Dogma understood the reason behind this punishment. But he couldn't help but feel a little sorry for Compass. Nonetheless, he'll do his job.

"I'll make sure he scrubs everything clean."

Taking one last look at Compass, Steele decides to take his leave. He reminds Dogma one last time before walking out the door.

"Remember: spotless."

With that, Steele leaves the restroom. And Dogma turned to Compass. "Um, keep scrubbing."

"Eh, not quite there. You need to say it with more tenacity." Compass advised.

Dogma now realized that everyone's in on helping him improve. Help him to not be a follower. He repeats himself, this time with more vigour.

"Scrub like it's the Chancellor's chair."

Compass's scrubbing intensifies.

~ O O O ~

Steele sat in the training overview room. His eyes focused on the cadets practising down below. But his mind was focused on Dogma.

"Hey!" A pair of hands suddenly planted on his shoulders.

He jerked. And turned around to see Aliyah. "Don't scare me like that, general."

"You seriously didn't hear the door open?" She pointed behind her. The same door closed—rather loudly.

"No, I didn't."

"Ah, because Dogma's on your mind." She answered without even asking. "I still can't believe you have him looking after Compass. I thought you said you stopped hating him."

"If I still hated him, I'd be making him scrub toilets _with_ Compass. Besides, if I give him something that doesn't remotely seem 'barrel-bottom', the Senate might call us out."

Aliyah frowned. "Hmm. That's true."

"If it's not for the monthly report, I'd probably make him shadow someone like Kal. But I knew that the Senate would never accept Dogma being given a second chance just like that. So I included that detail in my changed plea bargain sentence."

"I'm impressed." Aliyah took out a chair next to Steele and sat. "You were able to get the prosecutors to change the sentence just like that. What'd you blackmail them with?"

"Evidence that Eeno Vee is a liar. And that they knew it too."

"What was Senator Burtoni's face like when you told her that her own prime minister would know Vee's lying?"

Steele chuckled. "Priceless. Don't tell anyone I said that."

"Doesn't matter. It's over now. We have dirt on them and they have dirt on us." Aliyah leaned back in her chair. "As long as they leave Dogma alone, there's no need for trouble."

Steele nodded. He knew that Senator Burtoni wouldn't have the guts to downgrade Dogma anymore. But others who weren't swayed by the defense's argument might.

Nonetheless, he and the entire legion are prepared to take that on.

"You know what, general? I realized something."

"What?"

"Everyone here has been wronged by Krell one way or the other. Heck, we might as well rename this legion 'victims of Krell'." Steele let out a sarcastic laugh.

"'Survivors of Krell' is more accurate," Aliyah corrected.

"Can't argue with that." Steele agreed. He turns himself to face Aliyah fully. "Thanks to you."

"Dogma is thanks to _you_."

 _Dogma is thanks to many people and factors which influenced me to help him out._ Steele thought. But in the end, he made the final decision.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Steele turned back to his previous direction.

He continued to watch the cadets practice. As he watched them, Aliyah watched him. Waiting until she felt it's right to ask her question.

"So, I guess that means you're over Krell?"

Instead of reacting violently, Steele kept himself calm and slowly sat straight. Aliyah could sense this wasn't a facade.

He felt conflicted, but not in a bitter way.

"I won't ever forget about my time with him. All those memories and the pain associated with them. But I also won't let those memories dictate me now. What happened is in the past. Krell is dead in the present. And I don't plan on letting his corpse follow me into the future."

Steele stood up, preparing to leave the room. Aliyah did the same. They walked towards the door.

"Besides," Steele continued. "Hating him will only waste my time and energy. So…yeah. I forgive him."

Aliyah brought a comforting hand to his shoulder. And pulled him a bit closer to her. She was amazed by her commander's strength.

Forgiving his past abuser. Someone who time and time again, risked his life needlessly, subjected him to unbearable pain, and even left permanent scars on him. Is not easy.

Not many have the courage to do something like that. Even Aliyah—a trained Jedi—herself doesn't think she'd be able to forgive Krell if she was in Steele's shoes.

That's one of the many things she finds remarkable in him.

~ O O O ~

Compass has been scrubbing the same toilet for the past 20 minutes. But Dogma insisted it wasn't clean enough.

"I still can't see my reflection in it," he said coarsely.

"I can see mine," Compass quipped.

"It's not my reflection."

"It kinda is."

Dogma quickly disguised his snicker as a cough. When was the last time he heard this kind of humour?

Compass returned to scrubbing. He ignored all of the loud voices and footsteps outside the restroom. Dogma took a look at the time.

It was lunch.

"Hey, I'm gonna head to the mess hall. Do you want anything?" He asked.

"Yeah, just get me dessert."

Dogma took note of that. He headed out the door. "Alright, I won't be long."

Compass was left by himself. He didn't let that bother him. The restroom echoed with squeaks from the sound of his sponge rubbing the toilet bowl.

Suddenly, Dogma re-entered. "On second thought, would you like to take a break?"

Compass put down his cleaning supplies. "Are you sure?"

"I think so? I mean, I am in charge of you…and I kinda feel bad…" Dogma admitted.

"Don't feel bad, I put this on myself. You, on the other hand, deserve better." Compass removed his soap-stained gloves and stood up. "Let's go get lunch."

He walked Dogma out the door. "I'll introduce you to everyone."

_**End of Aftermath of Umbara arc. The Clone's Hero will be back for Clone Force 99 arc.** _

_**In the meantime, I'll be posting one-shots or short arcs based on all your suggestions! :)** _


	22. Shortcomings (Interlude)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N. This was based on a clip of an Asian variety show that my friend showed me recently. I forgot the name but I just want to put it out there, in case you noticed similarities.
> 
> I'm still accepting ideas, but I should let you know right now: I won't be able to use all of them. Sorry. :(
> 
> This little interlude of one-shots and short-arcs only serve to pass time and bring some light-heartedness.
> 
> And this is the only way I can consistently write for now (why does everyone get summer vacation but me?), so yeah.
> 
> See you all next time! :)
> 
> \- MiraLake

**Shortcomings (Interlude)**

_**Nobody's flawless, but that's a good thing…right…?** _

It's been a week since Dogma joined his new legion. And everyone has been so nice and welcoming. But truth be told, he still feels like a complete stranger.

Lucky for him, Compass noticed that.

"How about we play a quick game, everyone?" He suddenly brought up during their break time. "It's not like we'll be deployed anywhere soon."

"Just saying that will cause it to happen," Egad retorted. "Besides, why a game?"

Compass put an arm around Dogma, who was standing close to him. "Because it'll help him get to know everyone better."

And suddenly, everyone decided to play the game. Dogma was grateful that Compass was doing this. Especially since their first mission was coming up soon.

"What is the game?" He asked.

Compass took out a datapad and a cloth-wrapped baton. Now everyone was starting to have second thoughts.

Kal especially. "Oh no. Oh no, no, no."

"Oh yes." Compass grinned. "It's 'Guess my shortcoming'."

* * *

All the clones sat on one side of the table, while Dogma and Compass sat on the other side. The latter was explaining to the former, the rules.

"Basically, I write down one of my shortcomings, and those guys over there have to guess it. You'll determine who gets to guess by throwing this little ball," Compass presents a rubbery red ball to Dogma. "Whoever catches it gets to guess. And if they get it right, they'll come up to write their shortcoming, and I'll join the guessers. If they get it wrong, they get the baton."

Dogma nodded in understanding. "And I'll be sitting here because…?"

"Because you'll be able to see all of our shortcomings!" Compass explained. "Best way to get to know someone is to know their weaknesses. Starting with mine."

_Guess my shortcoming: Compass_

Compass types down his shortcoming on the datapad and nods to Dogma. Dogma prepares to throw the ball.

But right before he was about to do it, he stopped. "Wait, which direction should I throw it in? I mean everyone's sort of spread apart."

"Just throw it wherever they'll get to it one way or another." Compass waved his hand.

So Dogma threw the ball upward in a random direction. And just like Compass said, everyone from one side dashed to the other to get the ball.

It was a frenzy, but eventually, a victor emerged. And it was Vito. He held the ball and stared at Compass, formulating his answer.

"Uh, you think you're smart when actually, you have the lowest IQ among us."

Now Dogma is starting to understand why Kal was against this game. This was a chance for everyone to release some pent-up insults about each other.

Suddenly, Vito changed his answer. "Actually, no. Aurebesh! It's your below-standard Aurebesh grammar."

" _Young cadet, your writing is horrendous!" The Kaminoan instructor scolded a young Compass._

" _But wasn't it exactly what you wrote?" Young Compass asked in confusion._

…

" _How dare that clone writes this about the Prime Minister!" The head Kaminoan instructor roared._

" _No, no, you misunderstand," the Aurebesh instructor explained. "He's just really bad at writing. I'm sure it wasn't intentional."_

_Young Compass sat innocently on the high chair behind the two Kaminoans. It was a chair reserved for cadets on bad behaviour._

The clones surrounding Vito quickly pulled back after he said that answer. Compass stood up from his side of the table and walked over, baton in hand.

"Brace yourself, 'cause this is gonna hurt!"

He began pummeling Vito, who only had the small red ball as a defense tool. After a dozen hits, he finally backed off and returned to his side of the table.

"You see, Dogma?" Compass sat down. "Now you'll see each of our true colours."

The next round began as soon as Dogma threw the ball. This time, it went towards the left side. Everyone scurried after it. Fighting for it.

But Kal got the ball in the end. "Your shortcoming is being a poor sleeper and making all of us poor sleepers too!"

" _Captain? Captain, are you awake?"_

_Kal stirred in his sleeping mat. "What is it?"_

" _I dunno, I just can't sleep." Compass shrugged._

" _So why wake me up?" Kal turned his back to him. "We're still on a mission here! Let me rest!"_

" _But I'm bored. C'mon, captain. At least stay up with me until we both get tired. I won't bother you afterwards. Captain? Hello? I know you're still awake. Answer me. Please…"_

Compass awkwardly coughed in response to Kal's answer. He made his way over to him with the baton.

"Please don't hate me for this," he apologized before striking Kal with the baton's cloth-wrapped end.

The rest of the clones watched in entertainment until Compass ceased the punishment. He went back to his chair.

"Guys, I've given you a really easy one. You're all overthinking!"

"So it's something we all know?" Egad double-checked.

"It's something really obvious!" Compass answered.

That gave Egad an idea. Before the next round even started, Egad looked at Dogma in the eye, telepathically saying, 'throw the ball to me.'

Dogma did a light nod before commencing the round. This time, throwing the ball directly in Egad's direction. Egad caught it with a single hand.

He stood up confidently and said, "Brainless."

Everyone shook their heads and groaned. Vito pointed at himself, "Didn't I already say that?"

But Egad stuck by his answer. "Being an incredibly dense, ignorant, obtuse, dull-witted, unintelligible fool. Who thinks with his blaster instead of his mind. Sorry, friend."

Compass felt tears sting his eyes due to laughter…or was it pain? He opened his mouth to say something but stopped abruptly.

"Wait, I forgot what I wrote." He turned around to Dogma.

Egad pointed at him. "See? That just proves it!"

Dogma nodded. "Yeah, you're right. You got it."

"Congratulations, Egad." Compass said as he turned the datapad around, revealing his answer: 'Kinda stupid'.

* * *

_Guess my shortcoming: Egad_

Egad shows Dogma his shortcoming. "So this is mine, ok?"

"Ok." Dogma responded without giving away any hint as to what it may be.

That disappointed the clones on the other side of the table. But they quickly put that behind them when Dogma threw the ball.

Another brawl ensued. This time, Link emerged victoriously. "Never trusting women!" He guessed.

Everyone save for Egad and Dogma guffawed. Dogma did crack a tiny smile at the answer though.

_"Ma'am, please let go of my arm," Egad said coldly._

_"But I'm innocent!" The Pantoran woman insisted. "I would never conspire with the Separatists! Please, I've been framed."_

_"We'll see once interrogation begins."_

_"But I really am! Please! Hey! Listen to me, you jerk!" The women kept shouting after him as he left the area._

…

_Egad stopped a Twi'lek woman from crossing the safe-zone. "Sorry, miss. We're gonna have to ID you."_

_"Oh, uh. I left my ID back home. Can you let this slide?"_

_"No."_

_"Ok, how about I treat you to something? What kind of food do you—"_

_"ID. Now." Egad cut off._

_The woman scoffed. "Fine, fine. I'll go get my ID. Ugh, what's with you clones."_

_"Not 'clones' miss." Compass, who was standing next to him, corrected. "Just him. He doesn't trust women."_

Egad stood up. Tapping the baton against the palm of his hand. "I don't just distrust women you know. I also can't stand men like you!"

He proceeds to unleash a relentless attack on Link. Poor Link couldn't escape from a single one of those baton hits.

Egad returned to his chair once he saw Link finally submitting. "Next!" He shouted.

Dogma threw the ball in a random direction. Both Vito and Coal touched the ball. However, Egad saw that Coal touched it a millisecond earlier.

"It's Coal's guess," Egad determined.

Vito reluctantly gave Coal the ball. Coal hesitantly answered, "Um…you enjoy snacking."

Compass did a slow sarcastic clap. "Yes! Finally, someone says it!"

But Egad shut him up with a hard stare. "Be grateful Coal was the one who said it, not you!"

Coal braced himself for the baton. But to his surprise, Egad went rather gentle on him. Only giving him two mild hits.

What could the answer be? The guessers started deliberating what the shortcoming may be.

"It's probably reverse thinking," Compass suggested. "Like he thinks he's flawless, but he really isn't."

"You wanna guess that? We can give you the guess," Kal offered.

"No, I don't wanna risk getting hit. The baton may be clothed but from your reactions, it still looks pretty painful!"

"I'll go," clone trooper, Mercury, offered. "What do I say? That he's flawless?"

"That he's not flawless," Compass corrected.

"Ok."

The next round begins. Dogma throws the ball. And nobody except for Mercury went after it.

He picked up the ball and said, "Not flawless."

Egad raised a brow. "Are you sure?"

"You're not flawless, but you're close to it," Mercury complimented.

Dogma looked at Mercury and nodded. Egad turned the datapad around. On it was the word: 'Imperfect'.

Everyone applauded.

* * *

_Guess my shortcoming: Mercury_

Dogma watched as Mercury wrote his shortcoming down. He made his usual poker face to not give away any hints. Though this shortcoming was rather interesting.

"This is gonna be hard. Mercury's good at hiding his true personality from us." Compass confessed.

However, that didn't deter Egad. "You guys just don't know how to approach him. Watch, I'm gonna get this right on the first try."

"Be our guest," Vito shrugged.

Dogma throws the ball. And Egad was the only one who went to catch it. He gracefully caught the ball.

"Addicted to the Holonet!" Egad announced loud and clear.

" _Amazing! Simply phenomenal!" Mercury clapped at his screen._

" _And that's the 17th time you watched the replay of Senator Amidala's speech," Egad pointed out._

_Mercury shrugged. "What can I say? Some politicians are truly inspirational. And you say that the Holonet is filled with nothing but trash."_

" _Well, I don't use it long enough to find hidden treasures." Egad defended. "And you should probably get off right now."_

" _Just 5 more minutes. Promise."_

"'Just 5 more minutes. Promise'," Egad mimicked Mercury's vocal fluctuation.

"EGAD!" Mercury repeatedly hits the table with the baton.

All the guessers were incredulous. Compass's jaw dropped. "What? He actually got it?"

Even Dogma was shocked. "Yeah, he did. Wow, you two know each other well."

"Yes, we do," Mercury agreed as he flipped the datapad around.

'Slight Holonet addiction' was written on it. He and Egad shared a high-five.

* * *

_Guess my shortcoming: Kal_

Since Egad already wrote his shortcoming, Kal volunteered to go next. He made Dogma sit close to him while he wrote on the datapad.

"Captain, if we get it right, will we be promoted?" Compass asked.

Kal shot a demeaning look. Which caused Compass to quickly add, "Or at least, not be demoted? If we get it wrong?"

Everyone nodded in agreement. But Kal didn't say anything. He finished writing and puts the datapad down.

"Let's begin."

Dogma throws the ball and everyone fights for it. Link managed to win the fight. "Overthinking."

Kal walked up to Link. Then he proceeds to pound him on the neck, elbow, and knee-back. Each hit struck the nerves. Causing unbearable pain to Link.

"Next!" Kal gestured for Link to regroup with the guessers.

"See? You really do overthink! You specifically hit me where it hurts most!"

The next round starts. Vito catches the ball this time. "Too strict!" He answers.

That answer caused everyone to crack up. Even Kal found it ridiculous. "Now, you're just insulting me."

He smashes Vito on the back. This time, landing each hit randomly.

More guesses came in round after round. And each round, Kal punished the guessers with varying levels of tenacity.

…

"Being a member of Senator Organa's Fanclub," Coal answered.

"Actually, that's a pretty decent answer. But it's not what I wrote." Kal spared Coal with a single hit.

…

"Hates to study!" Compass confidently shouted.

That answer caused him to receive two extremely hard welts on his shoulder blades. Kal didn't even say anything in response to him.

…

"You really don't like anything that has to do with academics," Mercury elaborated on Compass's previous answer.

"I enjoy reading a good novel from time to time," Kal countered as he hit Mercury. "Next!"

…

"Your hair," Egad said while trying to keep a straight face.

"What?" Kal looked at Dogma who was trying his best to keep his laughter at bay.

Everyone else, however, let their laughter all out. Egad added on to his answer, "It's way too blue."

The laughter grew louder.

…

Kal patiently waited until it was over to continue the game. "Next."

"Wait, here's a little tip." Dogma stood up. "His shortcoming is kinda related to Compass's shortcoming."

 _My own shortcoming?_ Compass thought. His face suddenly brightened.

"I know now!"

In the next round, Compass fought viciously for the ball again. And won once again.

He steadied his breathing before saying his answer. "Poor Aurebesh writing."

Kal and everyone else couldn't comprehend what Compass was thinking.

"You never saw me write in Aurebesh, how can you even make that assumption?" Kal demanded.

…

"Alright, next!" Kal announced.

But Dogma protested. "Actually, sir. I think we should move on. There've been enough guesses."

Kal took a look at the time. "Hmm. You're right. Anyways, Mercury, Compass. You two were closest to being right. Thing is, you guessed that I don't like studying or academics. But that's not particularly true. I do like to learn, from experience and from theory. However, my problem is that I'm a bit…idealistic."

He turned the datapad around, revealing the word 'Idealistic' on it.

"Ohhh. So you believe things to happen a certain way." Vito realized.

"Yes, I have a tendency to stick by the book. Even though I know battles rarely play out as planned. But I still carry some hope that they do."

* * *

_Guess my shortcoming: Vito_

"What do you think?" Vito asked Dogma after finishing writing his shortcoming.

"Mmhmm." Dogma gave him a thumbs up.

Vito smiled as he put the datapad down. "Come and guess my shortcoming!"

The red rubber ball was thrown. And one of the guessers, Hail, caught it successfully. His excitement became nervousness when he saw how eager Vito was gripping the baton.

Still, Hail answered. "Like to brag about yourself."

That put a disapproving smile on Vito's face. He went up to Hail. "When have I ever bragged about myself? At least make your guess more believable."

He spoke in between whacks. But Kal refused to believe Hail's answer was wrong.

"He's right though!" Kal shot back.

"When have I ever bragged about myself?" Vito challenged.

" _See? What'd I tell you? The enemy was going to attack our south flank because of the landslide over there." Vito crossed his arms in front of Hail and Kal. "Am I a fortune-teller or what?"_

…

" _Man, I'm such a genius!" Vito praised himself after figuring out the final word in a crossword puzzle._

_The clone troopers nearby gave each other weird glances. They had no comment about Vito's behaviour._

…

_Pop!_

_Vito successfully threw the dart into the last balloon. Everyone applauded him while he performed his weird victory dance._

_Steele, who just entered the area to round them up for locker clean-out, slowly turned the other away._

"I agree with the captain!" Compass raised his hand. "That's the answer. Whatever you wrote should be invalidated. Dogma, erase it!"

"Uh…leave me out of this," Dogma chuckled.

"Fine. But can we get another hint at least?" Compass asked.

Vito made a face. "Why? It's something easy. You should all know this."

Something they all know? An idea formed inside Compass's head.

The second Dogma threw the ball into the air, Compass knocked over three of his brothers while running towards it. The ball landed right in his palm.

"Great hair colour!" Compass shouted.

"What the?" That flustered Vito. "Not a flaw, but thanks—"

"No, no, no, I got it!" Compass changed his answer. "Always trusting women."

The room erupted in laughter. This time, even Dogma joined in.

" _Fine, go get the rest. I'll stay right here," the suspected woman said._

_Vito pointed at her. "Don't go anywhere."_

_Less than a minute later, when Vito returned with the rest of his team, she was gone._

" _You didn't bother tying her up?!" They berated him._

" _She said she'll stay right here!"_

_Everyone took turns in smacking Vito on the back of his head._

…

" _Hey, where'd the lady go?" Vito asked Egad after coming back from the restroom._

" _Dunno. Took off maybe?"_

_Suddenly the waiter arrived with the bill. "Your lady friend said that you'll pay for the whole bill."_

_Vito fell to his knees while Egad watched with pity. "Shouldn't have trusted her, brother."_

…

" _Is there anything I need to know about Vito?" Aliyah asked Steele._

" _Yes. Under NO circumstances should you ever let him interrogate female prisoners. That guy's absolutely hopeless around women. He's been swindled by them too many times to count. Old, young, Twi'lek, Gungan. Doesn't matter. Always trusts them."_

_Aliyah laughed lightly. "Oh no."_

"' _Oh no' is right. One of these days the Separatists are gonna send a female spy and Vito will end up revealing all our secrets to her. He'll be the destruction of us. Just you watch." Steele wagged his finger. "Just you watch."_

Before Vito could get up to punish Compass. The door suddenly opened. Steele entered the room.

"What's all this laughing about?" He demanded.

"We're just playing a game to pass the time," Compass explained.

"I see. What kind of game?"

"The one where you guess each other's shortcomings." Vito turned his datapad around, revealing his answer: 'Not a morning person'.

Steele nodded in approval. "Yeah, that seems about right. Though I would've guessed 'too gullible around women'."

Everyone except for Vito laughed. Steele walked over to the table. "What about you, Dogma? Did you guess? Or write?"

"No, I threw the ball." Dogma threw the red rubber ball in the air for emphasis. "But I was able to see everyone's shortcomings and compare them to everyone's guesses."

"Do you think you know us better now?" Compass asked.

Dogma nodded. "More or less."

"Good, because the general just called," Steele revealed. "We're needed somewhere."

"We're getting dispatched?" Compass's face went blank.

"Yep. Get your equipment and hurry to the hangar, you'll be briefed on what's happening later."

Egad laughed in amusement. "I told you that'll happen!"

_**Shortcomings: End** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Fun fact: there's only one thing I like about Krell. And that's his voice actor, Dave Fennoy! :)


	23. Sick (Interlude)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N. My town is starting to open some businesses again. It seems that the pandemic is going down. But let's continue to be careful!
> 
> What about all of you? How are your lives right now? I hope you managed to use this time to either catch up on sleep or do something productive!
> 
> As for me, midterms are coming up so I'm a lot more stressed than usual. Writing is getting more difficult. But I'll soldier on. You guys are worth it.
> 
> See you all next time! :)
> 
> \- MiraLake

**Sick (Interlude)**

_**You can tell how much you mean to someone on how they treat you when you're sick** _

Steele was not feeling well. He hasn't been feeling well since boarding the destroyer for Agamar. And that feeling grew worse since landing.

But he decided to hide it.

"Let's get the base set up!" Aliyah announced upon arrival.

Everyone worked together to put up the tents, the bunkers, and move equipment from the ship to the Planet's ground. Steele tried to hide his unwellness by keeping to one spot.

But eventually, he was called by his general for a quick strategy overview meeting.

Aliyah was on a call with some of the Council members. She looked up to see Steele stumbling towards her.

"Are you alright?" She asked.

Despite his sense of balance getting increasingly worse, Steele nodded. "Yeah. _Cough_. I'm fine…"

The ground tilted to one side. Before Steele knows it, he fell to the ground.

Aliyah rushed to him.

* * *

The clones of the 304th gathered behind the safety perimeter from the meeting bunker. That's where Steele was currently lying, being treated by a medical droid.

Aliyah was amidst a conversation with the Council. Finalizing her decision with them. "My commander's come down with something. I'm afraid we'll have to postpone this operation until a later time. I don't want the entire legion catching whatever he has."

"Have you told this to the Kaminoans?" Mace Windu asked.

"Yes. They're sending over a separate ship for Steele. And several more for the rest of my men. They're going to be transported off in different divisions."

"Good. As long as that's under control." Mace was relieved. "Don't worry about the operation, we'll send in someone else."

"Alright. Thank you, Master." Aliyah ended the call.

She went over to Steele and the doctor. "How is he?"

"He's running a high fever. But it doesn't seem too serious so far," the droid explained. "Nothing that can't be treated back on Kamino."

"Good. That's good."

Aliyah took a look at her unconscious commander. She wondered why he didn't bother telling her earlier.

* * *

The 304th clones all either sat or stood, waiting for the transport ships to arrive. But they all did so with a radius of 6 feet between them.

Suddenly, one of them coughed.

"Who was that?" Kal hollered.

Compass waved his hand. "Geez, calm yourself, captain. I just choked on a piece of my ration bar. I'm not sick."

"That's what they all say…" Egad said ominously.

Compass fake-sneezed in his direction. All the clones around Egad—and Egad himself—frantically scooted away. Which in turn, caused the clones behind them to do the same.

"Aw, that's disgusting!" Egad grimaced.

"You idiot! Do you think is a joke?" Cleaver spat.

"The commander's actually sick, you know!" Dogma retorted.

"I know that!" Compass cried in frustration. "But over-panicking will only worsen things. So will you all calm down? It's probably not something too serious."

"It doesn't matter!" Kal screeched. "We all share the same immune system, so if one gets sick we all get sick!" He pointed at Egad and everyone around him. "You guys! Get back to where you were!"

"Is everything alright here?" Aliyah appeared on the opposite end of the safety-perimeter.

Everyone immediately went back to where they were initially. Kal answered his general, "Everything's fine. How's the commander?"

"Asleep for now. Whatever he has, it's treatable. That's all I know."

The clones relaxed a bit. Compass gave them all an 'I told you so' look. He noticed a single ship enter the atmosphere. Probably the one to pick up Steele.

"Hey, general," Compass called out. "Since this is something treatable, we can handle ourselves just fine. Why don't you head back first with the commander?"

Aliyah and everyone who heard that was surprised. She wasn't sure about this, "You all can really handle yourselves?"

"Yes, yes. Just go."

"Kal?" Aliyah turned to her most sane captain.

Kal gave a side-glare to Compass before answering. "The only nuisance is him, general. But other than that, we're all pretty adept. We've done something like this before."

The ship landed, and a couple of Kaminoan doctors came out. They asked where the sick clone was. Aliyah had to cut the conversation with Kal short.

"Alright, take care of yourselves. I'll see you all back on Kamino." She left to guide the doctors to the meeting bunker where Steele laid.

Compass sat down, finishing his ration bar. A feeling of satisfaction washed over him.

* * *

The Kaminoan doctor injected Steele with something that's supposed to decrease his fever. But it also makes him more drowsy than he was before.

He rarely got sick. When was the last time he even got sick?

Oh, right…the last time was when Krell was still his general…

" _What the hell is going on with you today, CT-3484?" Krell shoved Steele upright._

_They just finished driving the last of the droids out of the Republic's outpost. But in Krell's eyes, their performance was sloppy. Especially Steele's._

" _Huh? Answer me!" He whacked the side of Steele's helmet._

_That caused his vertigo to worsen._

_Reflexively, Steele ripped off his helmet, doubled over, and emptied the contents of his stomach…over Krell's foot._

_Every single clone who saw that thought, 'Commander, it was an honour fighting beside you.'_

…

_The Kaminoan doctors were lining up the 304th in quarantine chambers. Testing them to see if they caught whatever sickness Steele had._

_Krell was speaking with the head doctor. "None of them are infected so far, correct?"_

" _None so far, luckily. Considering that your commander's already in mid-stage of the illness." The doctor eyed Krell curiously. "Why didn't you bring him in when he was showing early symptoms?"_

" _Didn't think it was a big deal."_

" _Well, it is." The doctor seethed. "If the illness was something lethal, our entire army could've been wiped out. Next time, bring in your clone if he's showing any signs of being sick."_

_Krell waved a hand. "I highly doubt I'll need to do this again."_

…

_During the duration of Steele's recovery, the 304th wasn't deployed anywhere. So Krell didn't bother seeing them in HQ._

_They were happy with their general's absence but not so happy with their commander's. Due to quarantine regulations, no clone is allowed to visit Steele._

" _We're not even allowed to speak with him via comms!" Compass planted the side of his face against his sleeping pod's wall. "Not even comms!"_

" _How long has he been in quarantine for?" Vito asked._

" _About 3 days," Egad answered as he lept off his pod. "I wish they'd at least let us know his recovery status. Like is he getting better at all?"_

" _How can he?" Compass mumbled. "He's cooped up all day in that stingy little room. No company whatsoever. Other than the occasional doctor visits."_

_Kal sighed as he thought about how he'd be in Steele's situation. He knew that he definitely wants something that showed his friends cared for him…a lightbulb glowed above his head._

" _Hey, guys! I have an idea."_

…

_Another check-up test was done on Steele. But the results were the same as last time. He was getting better, but not better enough to join his legion again._

_As soon as the doctor left, Steele returned to counting the number of imperfections he could see in the ceiling. That's how bored he was._

_Suddenly, the door opened. And Shaak Ti entered the room, holding a wrapped package in hand._

" _How are you doing, commander?" She asked._

" _General?" Steele was genuinely surprised. "Why are you visiting me?"_

" _I wanted to see how you were," Shaak took a seat next to Steele's bed. "And to deliver this."_

_She put the package on the bedside table. "It's from your men."_

_Steele took the package and carefully unwrapped it. Inside were a small datapad and a box containing food the mess hall rarely gives out._

_Turning on the datapad, Steele read the message written on it._

' _You can make it through this, commander!'_

_On the other pages, were more personal messages. Each one was written by a different soldier, he can tell by the names labelled below each message._

" _This is really thoughtful of them…" Steele cracked a tiny smile._

" _They care for you very much," Shaak said gently. "I care too. Next time, don't be afraid to report you're not feeling well."_

" _General Krell will see it as an excuse. It's better I don't report it at all."_

_Shaak stood up. "It doesn't matter how he sees it. Something like this puts the entire army at risk. If not for his pride, then for the sake of the Republic. I'll make sure he knows that."_

_After that, Shaak left. And Steele is alone again. But he's not as down anymore. He kept reading through the datapad._

_Each message was unique in its own way._

' _I miss having you around. (Even if that means Krell will be around). Get well soon.' - Callous_

' _You're the glue that holds us together. We're doing our best to not far apart right now.' - Orbit_

' _Kan you pleese com bak?'_

_Steele didn't need to read the name to know it was Compass. Those Aurebesh skills made it easy to tell._

' _Commander, you seriously need to take better care of yourself!' - Vito_

' _Hey, sir. If you're reading this, please know that everyone's worried about your well-being. You're constantly on our minds and that should speak volumes to you. In the battlefields, you're our commander and we'll follow you to the ends of the galaxy. But outside of it, you're our friend and we want what's best for you. Please don't let the general affect your decisions. Whatever you choose to do, we'll support you. Know we have your back.' - Egad_

_Steele took a break from reading. He always knew that his men respected him, but he never knew they valued him so._

" _You guys are my reason to keep fighting…" Steele rested his head back. "Thank you."_

…

_Over the next couple of days, Steele was getting better. Shaak kept visiting him, bringing more packages from either his entire legion or just handfuls of his men. Or even individual soldiers._

_Even some of the doctors started making small talk with him during their visits._

_But not once, had Krell come to see him._

_That is until one morning…_

_Steele woke up and turned to the bedside table, grabbing his goggles. As soon as he put them on, he saw Krell sitting across from him._

" _Good morning, commander."_

_Steele reflexively shrivelled into the corner of his bed. Feeling trapped and unsafe. Cold sweat pooled down his neck._

_Krell pretended none of that happened and continued to talk. "The doctors told me you're almost fully recovered."_

_It's true. Steele was feeling a lot better lately. But that wasn't something he wanted to tell his general. He knew that Krell would just find some reason to belittle him again._

_But suddenly, Krell's cold-attitude softened. He looked down at Steele with an expression that was borderline concern._

" _You ARE almost recovered, are you?"_

_Steele didn't know what to say. Was his general…asking if he's alright? He responded with a weak head nod._

_Krell seemed almost relieved. "Alright, that's good."_

_A long pause occurred between the two. Then Krell spoke again._

" _I'm going to say this only once, commander, so listen. I was wrong to not bring you in when you were showing early symptoms."_

" _...It wasn't solely your fault, general. I should've just turned myself in."_

_Krell huffed in response. "You hate me, don't you, commander? For everything I did to you. Especially your sight."_

_Steele didn't say anything._

" _I admit, I went too far that day." Krell's voice was sincere. "What I did was unpleasant. Something that's 'highly-unbecoming of a Jedi'. And that's where the problem lies. 'Fighting for peace', hmph. You think that's what we're really fighting for?"_

" _No, sir," Steele answered, half lying, half being honest._

_Krell seemed fine with that answer. "Looks like you can think for yourself after all. More so than my former Master, at least. He was a compassionate Jedi. An exemplary Jedi. But he was naive and narrow-minded, and that cost him his life. Now, I see the same thing happening on a larger scale. To the entire Order."_

_Steele braced himself when Krell put a hand on his shoulder. "This war has shown that in the end, nothing matters but yourself and your life. You lose your life if you're on the losing side. Which is why we'll NEVER be on the losing side, you understand me?"_

_Steele shakily nodded. For the first time ever, he thinks he understands his general._

" _Hmm." Krell removed his hand. "Then you understand why I push you all with no mercy out in the battlefield. And why I let you all curse me with every known profanity in the galaxy. Because every victory we get pushes us further away from the losing side. Until we're pushed back again. And so, I push you all and you all curse me, and on and on and on it goes."_

' _Until the war's over.' Steele thought. 'Or until I'm dead.'_

* * *

Steele woke up in the destroyer's infirmary. Still feeling a little groggy, but not enough to return to sleep.

He turned his head over and saw Aliyah sitting on a chair on the other side of the room.

_She's here. She's here with me._

"General…"

Aliyah quickly made her way over. She helped him up into a sitting position.

"Easy there, easy there…"

"You'll catch it."

"Then I'll fight it off. Just like you will."

 _So it's not something serious_. That relieved Steele. But then he realized they're no longer in Agamar.

"The mission! What about the mission?"

"The Council will send in someone else," Aliyah revealed. "You worry about you."

Steele sighed. "Sorry about this."

Aliyah shook her head. She then proceeded to ask the question that's been bothering her since Steele collapsed.

"Why didn't you say something about not feeling well before we left for Agamar?"

"Old habits die hard…" That memory of the last time he was sick returned. "It won't happen again."

Aliyah gets the gist of what Steele's saying. Krell's dead and most of the legion's moved on from him. But old habits like this still lingered around.

It's her job to break them.

"So you were sick before?" She carefully asked.

"Yeah. Just a mild bug, but it was enough to put me out of battle for some time." Steele pinched the bridge of his nose. "I remember throwing up over Krell's foot."

"Now what I would've given to see that," Aliyah smirked.

"It's funny now. But at that time, I thought I was for sure a dead man."

More memories returned to Steele. All of them were fresh, due to the dream he just woke up from.

But the most prominent one was the conversation with Krell inside the quarantine chamber. That conversation was probably the closest Steele ever got to know about Krell's ideology.

_About why he's so harsh on us. Me being a failed RC was only a part in his overall reasoning._

"General…"

"Yes?"

How was he supposed to approach this? "Do you think the Jedi are flawed in the way they fight this war?"

"Of course."

_Wait, what—_

"I always try my best to stick to the Code," Aliyah continued. "But since this war began, I started to see flaws in the way the Jedi operate and conduct. Why are you asking me this?"

Steele took a deep breath. "Krell once said to me, that the way the Jedi are handling this war will cause the Republic to lose. And he didn't plan on losing." He leaned back. "'Nothing less than victory' was the motto."

Aliyah slowly nodded. "I don't want to lose either and I don't always agree with the way the Council does things. But the way Krell went about it, is not ok. Besides, at the end of the day, he didn't care about the Republic's fate. Just his own. That's why he turned traitor on Umbara."

"I guess so."

But a part of Steele still wanted to know what it was Krell saw that made him think the Republic was going to lose the war.

"Hey," Aliyah called for Steele's attention again. "We'll fight using the rules given to us. Until we morally can't. Then we'll fight and win using our rules."

"And what are our rules?"

"Rule number 1: prioritize lives. We can't protect if we can't stay alive. Though, you've been already doing that for a long time."

Steele recalled the get-well messages he received from his men the first time he was sick. "I wasn't doing that since day one though. It wasn't until General Ti delivered that package to me while I was in quarantine that I realized how much my men valued me. That's when I decided to start valuing them more than just soldiers. They valued me more than just a commander."

"I value you more than just a commander," Aliyah confessed.

 _I know. Why else are you here?_ Steele thought.

The destroyer soon reached Kamino. And a medical droid entered the infirmary. "We need to carefully transport you to the medical bay. With as little contact to fomites as possible."

Steele nodded in response. "I'll comply."

The droid left the room to get the bio-suit and other equipment necessary. Aliyah prepared to leave before the droid came back.

"Hey, I'm thinking of going off-world to get something to eat. You want anything?" She asked.

"Not really."

"Are you sure? It's really not troubling—"

"No, just come back. That's what I want."

That made Aliyah smile brightly. "Alright."

She left the infirmary. Leaving Steele to his happy thoughts.

_**Sick: End** _


	24. Peace-talk pt1 (Interlude)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N. I've decided to release both parts of this short-arc because I think it keeps the flow better.

**Peace-talk pt1 (Interlude)**

_**Peace is such a fragile thing** _

Tensions have risen on Orto Plutonia once again. This time, the Jedi have spared Aliyah to go there and help the Pantarons settle this issue with the Talz. After all, she won't be deployed anywhere large with her commander currently sick.

As Aliyah prepared to board the destroyer, she was stopped by someone calling her name.

"Aliyah?" Ahsoka appeared behind her.

"Hm?" Aliyah turned around "Oh hey, kiddo. What are you doing here?"

"I've been assigned to go with you to Orto Plutonia."

Aliyah's smile stuck on her face. "What?"

"I'm to be under your guidance during this mission. Or so that's what Master Plo said to me." Ahsoka revealed.

_A couple of hours ago…_

" _Ahsoka, I'm assigning you to go with Aliyah," Plo revealed to a very confused Ahsoka._

" _Ok. But why?" She asked._

" _It's occurred to me that she's been actively avoiding the search for a Padawan. You're to act as her apprentice on Orto Plutonia. Perhaps then, she'll finally realize it's not so bad being a teacher."_

" _I see." Ahsoka understood but was still a bit concerned. "Are you sure she won't hate you for this?"_

" _No. Because it's you." Plo said with utmost confidence. "Help her wherever you can. But try to do it from a student's perspective. And call her out if she's letting you do whatever you want. Because that's not teaching."_

' _Then I guess Anakin hasn't been doing a lot of teaching'. Ahsoka chuckled. "Sure thing, Master Plo."_

Aliyah couldn't believe Plo did this. No doubt he made Ahsoka go with her to let her know what it's like to have a Padawan. Well, it could've been worse.

He could've stuck her with an actual youngling. At least Ahsoka's perfectly capable of looking after herself.

"Well, then. I guess you'll be learning from me in this mission." Aliyah said unsurely. "Please bear with me, I never taught before. So I apologise in advance if I don't do things the way Skywalker does."

Ahsoka shrugged and smiled. "Don't worry. Anakin's a bit of a wildcard for a teacher. You don't need him as an example."

 _Ouch_. Aliyah thought.

* * *

The Republic destroyer soon reached the snow-covered world. Aliyah and Ashoka left the warmth of the ship to meet Senator Riyo Chuchi and Chairman Baron Papanoida on the surface.

"General Korentayer, thank you for coming to our assistance," Senator Chuchi greeted.

"Just doing my duty, milady," Aliyah replied.

Senator Chuchi nodded. Then she caught sight of Ahsoka standing next to Aliyah. "Padawan Tano, it's good to see you again!"

"Oh? You two are acquainted with each other?" Aliyah asked.

"Let's just say we've been through some 'fun' experiences together," Ahsoka went for the compromise.

Chuchi chuckled. "Yes, that was quite the experience. What a coincidence that we'd be going through another one together."

"Not quite this time," Ahsoka corrected. "Master Korentayer's the one in charge."

Aliyah nearly choked on her own spit. _Master!?_ That sounded even more foreign than 'general' when she got knighted.

Chairman Papanoida ended the small-talk. "Well, either way, we're glad to have the Jedi's aid. The future of our relations with the Talz may very well depend on it."

* * *

The company of four and a translator droid made their way to the Talz home village. It had been expanded since the initial conflict between them and the Pantorans.

The Talz warmly greeted them upon arrival, despite their language barriers. Everyone was rather friendly. Aliyah couldn't see any signs of tension.

"Chairman, Senator, what exactly is the problem here?" She asked as they were escorted across the village.

"There's been talk of Chieftain Thi-Sen retiring soon. And that his son, Thaj, will take his place," Papanoida explained.

"I have a feeling the son is the problem," Ahsoka said.

Chuchi nodded. "Thaj never had much love for us. And it grew worse after the late Chairman Chi Cho led an attack on the Talz, which killed his brother."

"It's always the mistakes of the past that come back to haunt us," Aliyah shook her head.

"Indeed," Chuchi agreed. "Even though we gave the Talz sovereignty over Orto Plutonia, Thaj refuses to forgive us or even his father for making peace instead of exacting vengeance. And now that he's on the way to becoming Chieftain, the possibility of conflict increases."

The company and their Talz escorts kept walking across the village. Passing by several Talz who gave them respectful nods. Except for a group that bore blue and red cloaks. They gave the Jedi and Pantorans hostile looks.

"See those warriors over there?" Papanoida pointed out to the Jedi. "They're part of Thaj's loyalist guards. They believe in his ideals and will fight to the death for him."

"He already has an army?" Aliyah was concerned.

"Not big enough to call an army," Papanoida corrected. "But definitely big enough to lay some damage to Pantora."

Finally, the group reached the meeting hall. Inside, the Talz High Council and a slightly frailer-looking Thi-Sen greeted them.

"Good to see you, Chieftain," Papanoida went up to Thi-Sen, who gave him a friendly hug.

Thi-Sen proceeded to do the same with the remaining three visitors. The droid translated what he was saying.

"The great Thi-Sen is happy to see you too. He and his warriors bid you welcome to their land."

"Thank you, Chieftain," Chuchi gushed before politely taking a seat. "We're sure you already know why we're here."

Thi-Sen almost nodded in response. He took a seat across from his visitors. The droid translated, "He says, 'I do not wish for violence between us once I step down. But my son, Thaj makes it difficult.'"

"Perhaps we can speak to him?" Aliyah suggested.

"'That is precisely why we wanted this meeting'," Thi-Sen explained before gesturing to the door.

Two Talz guards opened it, and in walked a tall, well-built Talz, donning the same cloak as the loyalist guards.

It was Thaj.

Thi-Sen called him over. "'Son, come over and meet our—'"

Thaj picked up a chair and hurled it at Papanoida. Aliyah quickly used the Force to divert it away. Ahsoka pulled him and Chuchi back behind her.

He began grunting something in Talzii. The droid translated as best as it could. "He's not happy to see Republic invaders in his home. He wants you all to go now, or he'll call in his personal guards."

"Wait!" Ahsoka exclaimed. "Please, just give us a chance. We're only here to talk."

But Thaj pointed an accusing finger to both hers and Aliyah's lightsabers. "He calls you Jedi, hypocrites," the droid explained.

Aliyah looked at Ahsoka. Their eyes met in agreement.

"Fine." Aliyah removed her lightsaber.

Ahsoka did the same. They handed their weapons over to one of the Talz for safekeeping.

"Now, can we talk?" Aliyah asked.

Thaj took a long look at the Jedi and the Pantorans. Before firmly shaking his head in response. Thi-Sen stood up angrily.

He and Thaj began to argue. The droid summarized their argument. "Thi-Sen is upset that Thaj refuses to give you a chance. Even when you complied to his request. But Thaj calls him a traitor to the Talz. And that he's forgiven you too easily."

Thaj attempts to walk away, but Thi-Sen stops him. "'Why are you so insistent on causing conflict?'"

"'I don't know. Why don't you ask, Chur-Mec?'"

Thi-Sen was quiet. He froze in place. Thaj walked out of the room without opposition.

Chuchi whispered to the two Jedi, "Chur-Mec was his brother. Thi-Sen's other son."

The one who was killed in Chairman Cho's attack.

Aliyah and Papanoida went up to Thi-Sen. "I'm sorry we couldn't speak with him today," Aliyah apologized.

"'I don't blame you. His anger was something I should've addressed a long time ago,'" the droid translated what Thi-Sen sadly mumbled.

"Chieftain," Papanoida began. "You do realize your son could become an adversary against us. Even you. When it comes to that, we won't have any choice but to fight him."

Thi-Sen jerked. "'No. I know that he's rash and vengeful, but he is my son. And I love him.'"

The four visitors felt the Chieftain's sentiment. But if Thaj really decides to rebel against his father, they may have to go against Thi-Sen's wishes.

* * *

"Well, this could've gone better," Aliyah sighed as she and Ahsoka prepared for the night in their room.

It was a cozy cave-like den, located not too far from where Chuchi and Papanoida were staying. So if anything were to happen, they can rush to their aide.

"It could've been a lot worse," Ahsoka pointed out. "At least Thaj knows we're willing to comply with him."

Aliyah nodded as she joined Ahsoka on the large furry mat, which served as their bed. Soft and comfy.

She sat close to Ahsoka for warmth. "Have you ever been to a peace-talk?"

"Not exactly. But I did accompany Senator Amidala to one on Raxus."

"That's nice." Aliyah praised. "She was probably a better teacher than me today."

Ahsoka gave her a friendly hit. "Don't be so hard on yourself. You'll get the hang of it."

"I hope so. But to be honest, it's not the teaching part I'm scared about. It's the fact we're in a war right now. If I take a Padawan, I'd be taking them with me to battle. And, well, if something were to happen to them…I'd never forgive myself. Besides, I already have a lot of lives I'm responsible for right now."

Ahsoka slowly nodded. "That's understandable. I feel the same way about my Master all the time. And vice versa."

"Then how do you prepare yourself for the worst outcome?" Aliyah asked curiously.

"That's the trick. We're always prepared. We have this trust between us. Whatever happens, we always believe in the other's abilities and that we'll come to each other's side when needed."

That opened Aliyah's mind. "I see." She put a hand on Ahsoka's back. "Thanks for sharing that with me."

"What are friends for? Er, I mean practice apprentices."

Suddenly a large gale blasted through the room. Ahsoka shivered and pulled her jacket tighter over her.

"Man, I'm freezing!" She said while chattering her teeth.

Aliyah also wrapped her jacket tighter. "Me too. How about it, kiddo? Are you up for sleeping like sandwiches tonight?"

"Oh yeah." Ahsoka scooted even closer. "Keep tight, keep warm. We're closing that gap Jedi call inappropriate for 'attachment' reasons."

Aliyah laughed. "Well, this is purely for survival reasons."

* * *

The two Jedi woke the next morning to the sound of fighting. They rushed outside to see what was going on.

All over the village, Talz were up in arms against each other. It was Thaj's loyalists against everyone else.

Aliyah panicked. "We need to protect the Chairman and the Senator!"

"Agreed," Ahsoka said before they both dashed towards the den they were staying at. They barged inside.

"Chairman! Senator!" Aliyah cried upon entering.

To their relief, both Papanoida and Chuchi—oh and the translator droid too—were unharmed. They were in company of a Talz warrior, who didn't don the cloak of Thaj's loyalists.

"Thank goodness," Chuchi went up to the Jedi. "We were about to go and get you."

"What's going on?" Ahsoka demanded.

"Thaj has started an uprising. He's trying to take over as Chieftain by force," Chuchi explained.

The Talz warrior next to them said something in Talzii. Papanoida introduced him to the Jedi, "This is Twel Mes, he's affiliated with Thi-Sen. He was the one who told what's going on."

Twel Mes pointed outside and grunted. "'We need to get to the Chieftain. Before Thaj does.'" The droid translated.

"He's willing to harm his own father…?" Aliyah muttered aloud.

"Unfortunately, vengeance can be blinding," Ahsoka said.

"I know. But this bloodshed is unnecessary." What Thi-Sen said the previous day echoed through Aliyah's head. "No harm is to come to Thaj. Not unless Thi-Sen says otherwise. Twel Mes, lead the way."

The droid translated Aliyah's command and Twel Mes ran outside, gesturing for everyone to follow him. They'll be taking a detour to the Chieftain's fortress.

* * *

Twel Mes led the Jedi and Pantorans through the battle-ridden village, fighting off any loyalist who tried to stop them, but not mortally wounding them.

Finally, they reached Thi-Sen's fortress. Inside, the place was littered with wounded Talz, both Thatj's loyalist and Thi-Sen's warriors. Chuchi shook her head. "This wasn't supposed to happen."

Ahsoka shared her thoughts. "We'll fix this, don't worry."

They rushed up the snowy ramp towards Thi-Sen's room. As soon as they arrived, Twel Mes based the door down.

What they saw inside, shocked them.

Thaj loomed over two injured Talz warriors—personal guards to Thi-Sen. While Thi-Sen, himself, stood across from them with mild injuries.

Thi-Sen softly grunted, as if to ask Thaj to stop this. But Thaj refused and quickly bent down to pick up a broken spear.

Ahsoka quickly pulled the spear towards her with the Force. Twel Mes used that chance to charge inside towards Thaj.

Chuchi, Papanoida, and Aliyah rushed over to Thi-Sen and his guards. "Are you ok?" They asked them.

Thi-Sen weakly shook them off. "He says, to not worry about him. Deal with Thaj," the droid translated.

As soon as the droid finished saying that, they looked up to see Thaj successfully pushing Twel Mes off of him and grab a nearby dagger. Ahsoka interfered before Thaj could lay in a killing blow.

"Lay down your weapon, Thaj!" She warned. The droid translated what she said loud and clear.

But Thaj refused. He swung at Ahsoka, who swiftly evaded his attacks. Suddenly, Thaj threw the dagger at Ahsoka's head. That transferred all her concentration to dodging the airborne weapon for a brief second, allowing Thaj to knock her off her feet.

"Ahsoka!" Aliyah was about to rush over but Thi-Sen beat her to it.

The Talz Chieftain placed himself in front of Ahsoka, shielding her from Thaj. Reluctantly, he engaged his son in a fight.

At first, it seemed like Thi-Sen had the upper hand, but the pain from his mild wound began affecting his abilities. And Thaj managed to lay in a painful cut across Thi-Sen's chest.

For a brief second, the rogue Talz warrior felt regret for what he just did. But it faded away as he took a step towards his hurt father.

"No!" Ahsoka Force-pushed Thaj back before he could do worse.

Thaj quickly recovered from the push and attempted to jump towards Ahsoka. But that's when Aliyah pulled him down with the Force.

She used the Force to subdue Thaj whenever he attempted to make an attack. Quickly and precisely. Eventually, Thaj grew annoyed and leapt out the window.

He regrouped with his loyalists outside and escaped from the village

* * *

In the aftermath of Thaj's brief uprising, the Talz began fixing their village and healing their wounded. Aliyah, Ahsoka, Chuchi, and Papanoida waited for news of Thi-Sen's condition.

Before long, a Talz healer came up to them. "He says the Chieftain is alright. It's only a minor laceration," the droid translated.

The four of them breathed in relief. Papanoida spoke first, "This is the last thing we wanted. But if Thaj doesn't turn around soon, we'll have to ask for Republic forces."

"No. It won't come to that," Ahsoka insisted. "We can still fix this. Does anyone know where Thaj and his loyalists ran off to?"

One of the Talz warriors nodded. "He says their spies reported seeing them run off the to abandoned Republic listening post," the droid translated. "They may be planning their next attack."

Ahsoka turned to Aliyah. "We can head there and try to talk him down."

"Don't misunderstand me, Ahsoka. I want to do that too. But look at the state of this place right now," Aliyah gestured to the damaged village and injured Talz. "We need to prepare everyone in case Thaj can't be reasoned with. Protect these people, and protect him."

"Well, then in the meantime. We will deliberate with the Pantoran assembly about these events," Papanoida revealed. He and Chuchi said their farewells before walking away.

Leaving the two Jedi to indulge in their thoughts. Ahsoka leaned against a nearby ice pillar. "What Thaj is doing is shameful. Surely the death of his brother affected his father too."

Aliyah agreed. "Maybe if he realized he wasn't the only one suffering, he'd understand his father's notion for peace and sovereignty. And realize he still has a lot to live for."

"I sure hope so. Because fighting him without harming him is like a whole new combat technique," Ahsoka crossed her arms. "By the way, thanks for helping me out back there."

"I just drove him off. You did a great job holding Thaj back without laying a scratch on him." Aliyah smiled at her. "Skywalker taught you well."

Ahsoka beamed with pride. "Thanks. But still, it's good you intervened." She paused. "Besides, Masters shouldn't let their Padawans do whatever they want."

 _Oh, Plo definitely told her that._ Aliyah shook her head before adding onto Ahsoka's sentence, "And neither should they restrict their every action."

"Well, then, Master. The next time we see Thaj, what should I do?"

Aliyah thought carefully about that. "Follow my lead, offer your suggestions, and if things go wrong, help me out."

_Let's just hope things don't go wrong._

_**Peace-talk: To be continued…** _


	25. Peace-talk pt2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N. And that's done! Please forgive me, I know this wasn't clone-centric, but don't worry. I have a lot of future chapters that are centred around them.
> 
> And the next one-shot will be featuring clones again! :)
> 
> As always, please leave kudos and comments if you have ideas or just want to drive away my writer's block!
> 
> If you have feedback, you can leave it in the comments or email me (fanficwriteronthelake@gmail.com) if you prefer a little more privacy.
> 
> Wish me luck, my midterms are coming up (as well as several assignment deadlines). :P
> 
> See you all next time! :)
> 
> \- MiraLake

**Peace-talk pt2 (Interlude)**

_**Vengeance drives people apart, forgiveness brings them together** _

It didn't take long for the Talz to repair their village, especially with the help of their Jedi visitors. Most of their injured ones were treated as well. And Chuchi and Papanoida got a conclusion from the Pantoran assembly.

"The assembly has given us one more chance to talk Thaj Sen down," Papanoida said to Aliyah and Ahsoka. "If we fail again, the Talz will be labelled as our enemies, and by extension, the Republic's enemies. War will come to this World."

"Then we can't fail again," Ahsoka replied matter-of-factly.

"No, we can't," Chuchi agreed. "But how can we get Thaj to listen to us? He's already refused to meet civilly and has attempted to usurp his father."

"If we go after him, he'll certainly retaliate and lose all faith in us and his remaining people," Papanoida added.

Aliyah hesitantly revealed an idea she's been concocting since Thaj's escape. "I think we should let Thaj come to us. If he decides to attack, then so be it. We have the numbers and the strength, he only had the element of surprise."

Beside her, Twel Mes grunted in agreement. The droid translated for all to hear, "He says, 'Thaj is likely blinded by confidence from his near-successful uprising. He'll definitely come back and attack again.'"

Aliyah thanked Twel Mes for his support. "This is the only way for us to see Thaj again."

"So your plan is to wait until he attacks us?" Ahsoka repeated for clarification. "And meet him on the battlefield, and hopefully…talk to him? Am I summarizing it right?"

Aliyah nodded.

"Do you really think he'll listen better while fighting?"

"If we're taking him on together, I do," Aliyah said in all honesty.

Ahsoka responded to that with a grateful smile. That gave confidence to Chuchi and Papanoida. They agreed to the plan.

"We should inform the rest of the Talz about this," Chuchi gestured to the gathered warriors of Thi-Sen behind them.

All of them looked ready to defend their village, their Chieftain, and their peace. Even if it's from one of their own.

* * *

The Talz spent the time waiting until Thaj's attack to prepare. They moved most of their most injured people to a safe-zone, away from the village, including Thi-Sen. And they fixed up their munitions as well as fortify the place up a little.

Little by little, they strengthened themselves and felt ready to take on Thaj and his loyalists.

Eventually, more word was received from the spies.

"They say, that Thaj is planning on coming to attack today," the droid relayed the spies' information to Aliyah.

She thanked the Talz spies for their help. "I shall tell the Chieftain about this. You should go and prepare for battle."

"I'll help them with the final preparations," Ahsoka told Aliyah before going off with the spies.

"I will too," Papanoida joined the Togruta Jedi Padawan.

After saying a quick farewell, Aliyah and the droid made her way to the safe-zone where the injured and unfit to fight were resting. She met up with Chuchi, who was already inside Thi-Sen's tent.

"Master Jedi, you're here to speak with the Chieftain as well?" Chuchi turned to Aliyah when she just entered.

"Yes," Aliyah walked over to Thi-Sen and Chuchi. "And please, no need to call me that. I'm no Master."

Chuchi looked a little flustered. "What? Oh, my apologies. I just assumed since Padawan Tano is currently under your watch, you must be a Master."

"Haha, no. I'd probably need another 30 years or more before getting that rank. Anyways, I came to tell the Chieftain something."

"Of course," Chuchi stood up so Aliyah could be closer to the Talz Chieftain.

Thi-Sen's expression changed from calm to concern. He spoke and the droid translated. "He says, 'is there news of my son?'"

Aliyah nodded. "Your son and his followers are coming to attack sometime today. He's going to try and takeover as Chieftain again."

Thi-Sen let out a sorrowful grumble. "He's very hurt by this news," the droid explained. "He wishes to join you in the fighting."

"No!" Chuchi exclaimed. "No, Chieftain, you're too precious to lose in battle. We almost lost you once already."

Aliyah fervently agreed. "It's better for you to rest here. We can handle it. They don't have the numbers to defeat us."

After a long pause of silence, Thi-Sen reluctantly agreed to remain here. But he had more to say. "He says, 'please, try to not kill Thaj or his loyalists. Disarm them, stun them, but only kill them if you have no other choice. Except for Thaj. I want you to bring him to me, alive, after the battle. Please, for my sake.'"

Chuchi and Aliyah looked at each other. They both felt how much Thi-Sen loved his son, despite everything he did. For his sake, they'll do their best to bring Thaj back alive.

* * *

Back at the village, Ahsoka and Papanoida finished the Talz with the final preparations. Everyone's armed and ready for battle. That's when Aliyah and Chuchi returned with news from Thi-Sen.

"The Chieftain does not want Thaj or any of his loyalists to be harmed," Aliyah revealed to everyone.

They all murmured in concern. Ahsoka was extremely unsure about this. "We can't protect everyone in this conflict, you know that."

"We came here for a peace-talk. This conflict shouldn't have happened in the first place."

"I know. But it did, and now we have to handle it."

"And we will." Aliyah put a hand on Ahsoka's shoulder, gripping her tightly. "We'll deal with Thaj and his loyalists when they come here. We'll target them, three of our warriors to every one of theirs, and disarm or subdue them without killing."

"Unless absolutely necessary," Ahsoka threw in.

"Unless absolutely necessary," Aliyah nodded in confirmation. "For all except Thaj. You and I _will_ bring him back to the Chieftain. Alive."

Ahsoka decided to place confidence in this task. "Alright. Let's bring the fallen son back to his father."

Out in the snowy plains between the abandoned Republic listening post and the Talz village, was Thaj's loyalists. They waited patiently for their leader to finish paying his respects.

Thaj revisiting the battleground where Chi Cho led the attack against his people, specifically the place where his brother fell. There, he readjusted the spear shaft that held Chur Mec's cloak.

He stood there in silence. Thinking about what he's done. And what he's about to do.

One of his loyalists eventually came up to him to tell him its about time they go. Thaj agreed. He's gone too far to turn back now.

* * *

The Talz lookouts alerted everyone below upon seeing Thaj's loyalists approaching. The warriors, Jedi, and Pantoran representatives prepared for battle. Aliyah said some final reminders.

"Don't 1v1 on a loyalist, you won't be able to disarm them without hurting yourself. Senator, Chairman, you two stay with Twel Mes, he'll keep you safe. And Ahsoka—"

"—I'll be with you. We'll subdue Thaj together," she finished for Aliyah.

Then that's it. They're all prepared and ready.

Thaj and his loyalists soon arrived within firing range. One of the Talz warriors let out a great cry before leading them into battle. Thaj's loyalists charged towards them.

The fighting began.

Spears were thrown while riding on the backs of their narglatches. Shields were held up in defense. And eventually, the two opposing sides met in the middle and engaged in close-range combat.

Just like Aliyah said, the warriors loyal to Thi-Sen outnumbered Thaj's loyalists. It was almost three Talz on their side for every one of the loyalists. However, where the loyalists lacked in numbers, they made up for in brute force.

Several times, either Aliyah or Ahsoka had to intervene because a loyalist came close to killing one of their warriors. But luckily, no one was actually killed or mortally wounded yet.

"We can't keep this up forever," Ahsoka said after saving another warrior from a near-death stab.

Aliyah looked around the snowy battlefield. Trying to find Thaj. "Where's Thaj?"

As soon as she asked that. She felt something fast coming at her. Ahsoka managed to pull her out of the way. "Look out!" She cried.

Thaj's spear flew past them. And he emerged from the snow underneath, where he was abiding his time until the right moment to come out. Ahsoka was glad they got some prototype translator vocoders and masks just this morning from the Pantoran assembly.

Protocol droids aren't easy transporting around in a battle.

Thaj immediately proceeded to fight the two Jedi. With more vigour and ferocity this time. But the Jedi were just as determined to talk him down as he was to overcome them.

"Thaj, enough of this!" Aliyah cried, her words being automatically translated into Talzzi via the vocoder.

As expected, Thaj ignored her and continued to attack. He was just as fast and brutal as he was last time. But last time, he was against just one opponent. Now it's two.

Ahsoka redirects his spear away before he could try to throw it. "We're giving you chances here, Thaj! Please don't throw them away!"

But Thaj didn't listen. This time, he responded back. "'I'm giving you chances too. A chance to fight me fairly right here and now. This is the only way for you to protect my father's people.'"

He ended that sentence by swiftly hurling some snow at the two Jedi. Distracting them just enough for him to throw his spear again. Aliyah managed to roll out of the way and pull in a nearby shield with the Force.

Thaj attacked Aliyah vigorously with his spear. And she countered just as much with the shield, even managing to break the shaft in half. But that's when Thaj rushed forward and pushed her against the shield, knocking her into the snow.

Before things could escalate further, Ahsoka jumped into Thaj's back, pulling him away from Aliyah. Thaj struggled to get her off while she attempted to make him submit.

But suddenly, both fell over and plummeted into a hidden crevasse. Aliyah rushed after them.

"Ahsoka!" She shouted.

Down in the crevasse, Ahsoka and Thaj finally stopped tumbling and hit the bottom. The crevasse wasn't very deep luckily.

Though disoriented and tired, Thaj still got up to continue the fight. Ahsoka didn't land as hard he did in the fall, so she had a slightly higher advantage. She decided to use this to talk some more.

"Thaj, think about what you're doing," she said in between dodges and Force-pushes. "If you takeover your people by force, they'll never follow you. Your plan for revenge will only cause more harm."

"'Your Republic already caused us harm by bringing the war to my home! I will not sit around and pretend that our peace and sovereignty will actually last. Because by the time we're invaded by the CIS or Republic for reasons, it'll be too late! I'm fighting back now!'"

The fight between the two got more brutal. Ahsoka had to pick up a broken spear shaft—that fallen down with them—to use against Thaj. Eventually, she was able to get a few words in again.

"You really think this is what your father would want? Or even your brother—"

"'Don't speak of him!'" Thaj suddenly delivered a crushing blow onto Ahsoka's spear. Breaking it and sending her flying back.

Ahsoka quickly recuperated and prepared to defend against Thaj's next attack. But before he could move, he was Force-pushed against the wall and pinned there.

Aliyah had entered the crevasse. She held Thaj immobile and walked towards him. "Stop. Stop, please."

Thaj struggled against the Jedi's hold to no avail. "'Let me go first.'"

"Not until you end this unnecessary violence."

"'Why?'"

"So your brother, and all those who had fallen for your people, can rest."

Thaj tensed, but not as jerky as he was before. "'My brother's dead. Those people are dead. How do you rest dead people?'"

"By taking care of the living. Especially their loved ones," Aliyah loosened her Force-grip. "Your father, for one."

"'My father has forgotten all about Chur Mec…'"

"Your father loves him. He loves him, that's why he's so fervent in keeping the peace. So no more of his people would die, including you. He loves you, so very much. That's why he told us to bring you in alive, without harm, even though you made an attempt on his life."

Now Thaj calmed down more. "'He really said that…'" He whispered to himself. "'He…'"

"...forgives you," Ahsoka stood up from the snow. "Now will you go see him and hear that for yourself?"

An epiphany burst from the depths of Thaj's mind. All hostile thoughts and intentions flooded out of him. Aliyah released her grip, and he dropped to his knees. Deep in regret.

"'Let me call off my loyalists. And…take me to my father.'"

* * *

After Thaj and the two Jedi climbed out of the crevasse, he announced to all his loyalists to stop fighting. He went up to Twel Mes, Chuchi, and Papanoida and asked them to cease all hostilities.

They did. And both sides dropped their weapons.

All the loyalists were taken away for safety while Thaj was taken to see his father. Some members of the Talz High Council came to escort him.

They checked Thaj for weapons before letting him inside Thi-Sen's tent. Thi-Sen sat up upon seeing his son enter with the Jedi and Pantoran representatives.

"'You came back,'" he sounded relieved.

Thaj went to his father's side. "'Yes, I have. I'm…I'm sorry for everything…for what I did to you.'"

"'These wounds will heal,'" Thi-Sen gestured to the part where Thaj cut him. "'Unlike the wounds that would be left if you truly turned against me. I'm happy that you're here now. I forgive you, my son.'"

"'I've done horrible things. All in the name of avenging Chur Mec and those who fell to Chairman Cho's attack,'" Thaj sounded deeply remorseful. "'I miss him. I miss him so much.'"

Thi-Sen put a hand on Thaj's shoulder. "'So do I. Not a day goes by without me regretting the battle that took place. But it won't do anything to bring him back. All I can do now is to protect those who are still here. Especially you.'" Thi-Sen came closer. "'Instead of mourning in the past, can we mourn in the present? Together?'"

"'Yes…'" Thaj threw his arms around Thi-Sen in a gentle embrace. "'...father.'"

Behind them, Aliyah was glad of this turn of events. Ahsoka felt the same.

Thaj finally let go of his father and turned around, looking at the Pantorans. "'Perhaps now, we can talk about the continuation of peace between our people.'"

Chuchi stepped forward and nodded. "Yes, that'd be wonderful."

* * *

The peace-talk continued back at the Talz village. This time, Thaj was more willing to listen. He was open to continuing the current relationship his people had with the Pantorans. And will work with them to make it last when he's chieftain.

Papanoida promised to defend the Talz if the Republic ever attempted to overwrite their declaration of sovereignty. "We will not let them try to take away your independence."

"'I appreciate that greatly,'" Thaj thanked. "'But what if they attempt to do so anyway?'"

"Then we'll get help from our friends and allies," Chuchi looked at Ahsoka knowingly. "It's not uncommon for worlds to take matters in their own hands if the Senate can't make a decision or makes an unfair one."

The Talz High Council agreed to that. And Thi-Sen stood up to give some final words, "'I can't thank you enough, Senator, Chairman. Because of your actions, my people were able to live without disturbance after the war came to our home. Thank you.'" Thi-Sen turned to Aliyah and Ahsoka. "'And you as well, Jedi. For not harming Thaj and bringing him back to me. I had my doubts about the Jedi due to their participation in this war, but you truly lived up to what I expected from defenders of the peace.'"

The meeting concluded soon after. Everything ended on a good note. The Talz returned to their lives. And Thaj's loyalists were pardoned and given a second chance.

Chuchi and Papanoida walked Aliyah and Ahsoka to the area where the Republic ship was coming to pick them up.

"It's been great working with you two," Papanoida thanked.

"It's been great helping you out," Aliyah replied. "Perhaps we'll see each other again in the future."

"For celebratory reasons, of course," Chuchi added.

"I'll make reservations," Ahsoka chimed in.

The Republic ship entered the atmosphere and the four said their farewells to each other.

* * *

The ride back to Coruscant was uneventful and before long, the two Jedi were stepping out into the Temple's hangar. Ahsoka was in the midst of talking with Aliyah.

"It was a nice experience, going to Orto Plutonia with you," she confessed.

"Funny. I was about to say the same, kiddo," Aliyah revealed.

"Really? So I guess you're finally open to choosing a Padawan?" Plo suddenly came up behind them.

"Master!" Ahsoka greeted.

Plo greeted her back before turning to Aliyah, expecting an answer for his question. She shook her head. "No."

"No?" Plo was taken back.

"Because I don't Jedi are allowed to take another's Padawan," Aliyah pulled Ahsoka next to her. "Besides, even if it is. I doubt Skywalker would let her go easily. She's really one of a kind."

"She is indeed," Plo concurred.

"If there are more younglings like Ahsoka, I'm not worried about the future of the Order."

Ahsoka gently released herself from Aliyah, grateful for the compliments. "I'm flattered. But you should really be thanking Anakin. He's mostly responsible for who I am."

"The Master paves the ground, but the Padawan crosses it by themself," Aliyah stated. "That's how I'll go about it with my own student. Someday."

_**Peace-talk: End** _


	26. General Weenobi (Interlude)

**General Weenobi (Interlude)**

_**It ain't easy being the caretaker** _

It was another ordinary morning for the commander of the 212th Attack Battalion, Cody. A new day, a new set of orders, a new adventure with his ever-respectable general, Obi-Wan Kenobi.

He made his way across the halls of HQ, towards the meeting room where Obi-Wan was. But something felt odd. Yes, something was felt very off as he got closer and closer to the door.

"General Kenobi, what's the overview—"

Cody stopped midsentence upon entering the room.

Standing across from him in front of the table, was Obi-Wan. Or at least it was someone who resembled Obi-Wan. A clean-shaven, younger, shorter Obi-Wan.

This clean-shaven, younger, shorter, Obi-Wan lookalike, stared up at Cody. "Not. A. Word. Commander."

Cody found his voice. "General…Kenobi…?"

"Yes," little Obi-Wan replied harshly. "Quit staring."

But Cody continued to stare.

* * *

It wasn't easy sneaking Obi-Wan out of the meeting room in a laundry bag, but Cody did it. He brought them to a quiet hangar at the back of HQ, where he called the rest of the 212th to meet at.

"Alright, commander. What's this emergency you called us here for?" One of the clones asked.

Cody glanced around. Sure enough, everyone was here. "I need everyone to swear they won't laugh."

"We swear," the entire battalion answered in unison. They just wanted to know what's going on.

"Alright. Here's the emergency." Cody opened the laundry bag in front of him and out stepped little Obi-Wan. "Oh, and no staring either."

But it was too late. The 212th battalion was frozen, their eyes glued to the tiny lookalike of their general. Obi-Wan knew the warning beforehand was futile. He tried not to let his men's expression get to him.

"You can speak, you know?" Obi-Wan chastised his men.

"Wait…you're really General Kenobi?" A clone from the back asked.

"Yes, he is," Cody answered for him.

"How did this happen?" Another clone asked incredulously.

"I'd like to know too," Obi-Wan crossed his arms.

"Could this be Force magic?" One of the clones in the front asked his buddy.

"No! The Force isn't magic!" Obi-Wan retorted. "And it doesn't do unnatural…things like this!"

"Well, it could and the Jedi just haven't discovered it yet."

"Yeah! If they can see visions of the future why can't they revert to themselves in the past?"

"Considering this is General Kenobi when he was younger."

"It is! I can definitely see the similarities! It's a wee-sized version of him!"

"Hehe, it's General Weenobi!"

The clone who said that quickly covered his mouth. But by then, the damage has already been done. The laughter began as a soft snicker, then quickly grew into a full-blown maelstrom.

Within seconds, the entire battalion was rolling in hysteria. Except for Cody and Obi-Wan. Cody grimaced as Obi-Wan glared at him. This was definitely no longer an ordinary day.

* * *

"Seen an ailment like this, never have I," Yoda confessed.

"Is it treatable?" Cody asked.

He and several of his men had brought little Obi-Wan to Coruscant. They hoped that the Council would have a solution to their general's predicament. But unfortunately, the Council was just as clueless as they were.

"We'll find something about this soon," Mace Windu answered. "We've sent an entire team down to the Jedi archives and even the Holocron vault. It's impossible for them to return empty-handed."

"Master Windu!" The head of the search team entered the room. "We've scoured the entire place and found nothing!"

"Impossible," Mace insisted. "Keep searching!"

"Search, how? We turned the archives and the vault inside out, heck, we even found some things that'd get us kicked out of the Order if I were to elaborate!"

Just then, Anakin barged in. "I came as soon as you called and said there's an emergency involving Obi-Wan!"

"You!" Obi-Wan leapt off his patient bed. "I know you did this!"

The expression on Anakin's face went through three phases. 1: shock. 2: denial. 3: amusement. "...What…?"

"Oh, is that all you have to say for yourself? 'What'? You think this is soooo funny, don't you, Anakin? Well, you've gone too far! Turn me back!"

"Wait, wait, wait!" Anakin held up his hands. "I didn't do this! I swear!"

"Quit playing innocent! Cody, arrest him!"

For the first time in his life of serving Obi-Wan, Cody refused an order from him. "Sir, this is a serious accusation."

Obi-Wan's jaw dropped. "I'll have you court-martialed for your insolence!"

"Hey, that's not very nice," Anakin teased.

"Shut up!" Obi-Wan snapped. "And quit laughing at me!"

"I'm not laughing…" The corners of Anakin's mouth began to quiver upwards.

"You're laughing!" Obi-Wan turned purple.

"No, I'm not—" Anakin burst out laughing.

Obi-Wan charged towards him. Anakin immediately bolted out the door. And Cody chased after the two Jedi. Inside the room, Yoda, Mace, and the head of the search team stood in silence.

"Smaller the stature, shorter the temper, it seems," Yoda remarked.

 _Then how do you explain yourself?_ Mace thought.

"Millenniums of training, I had," Yoda answered knowingly.

* * *

After controlling the brawl between Obi-Wan and Anakin, the Council have finalized their decision. They'll continue searching for a solution while the 212th continue going on missions.

Without Obi-Wan.

"Absolutely not," Obi-Wan objected. "Just because I've reverted back to my Padawan years, does not mean my abilities have too! Cody, we're leaving!"

With that, Obi-Wan dragged his commander out of the Council room and to the hangar. He'll show them! He can still lead as their general even in this size!

* * *

The first mission was to take back several Republic outposts that had been overtaken by droids across the Outer Rim. It seemed easy enough. Or so the clones thought.

As soon as they landed and ran towards the droids, Obi-Wan tripped over a rock. "Attack–oof!"

Two clones rushed to his aid. "Sir, are you alright?"

"No! What are you doing?" Obi-Wan shouted as he got up by himself. "Push! Push them back!"

He activated his lightsaber and charged forward again. Cody reluctantly followed close behind. Pulling his general back every time he sees him in a vulnerable position. Which earned him a scolding from Obi-Wan each time.

"Stop pulling me! I can do just fine!" Obi-Wan screamed in Cody's visor.

Suddenly, a blaster bolt shot at them, knocking Obi-Wan's lightsaber out of his hand. Cody courteously picked it up for him.

 _This is gonna be one hell of a day_ … He thought.

_~Please listen for maximum experience. Feel free to pause it whenever~_

Sure enough, Cody's prediction came true. The first mission was a success. If they didn't count the numerous times Cody had to dive in to save his general from certain death by droid fire.

And that was only the first of several more missions to go on.

"I can handle myself!" Was what Obi-Wan always said before engaging the droids.

And always, either Cody, or one of his men, or a combination of both, had to go in to save him within the first 10 minutes of battle.

Thrice Cody had to dodge enemy fire just to retrieve Obi-Wan's dropped lightsaber. Twice he had to call in heavy artillery to cover their escape from an ambush of droids. And once, they had to catch Obi-Wan after he lost his footing on a wall they were scaling.

This cycle of craziness repeated on every Planet they went to. With slight variations here and there.

It became too much to handle.

Eventually, Cody and his men had had enough. They called the Council. "Generals, please do something about him before he kills himself!"

"Or worse, us." Boil threw in.

The Council obliged. "Send a substitute for you, we will," Yoda announced. "As for Kenobi, we shall send him under the care of Skywalker."

"Thank you, sir," Cody said before ending the call. He immediately proceeded to contact Rex to warn him of the incoming storm known as General Weenobi.

* * *

Anakin, his men, and Ahsoka waited patiently for the ship carrying Obi-Wan to arrive. They were in the middle of a mission to drive away some invading droids on Felucia. But it was safe enough for them to do a little babysitting on the side.

Rex, who had received the warning from Cody, was skeptical about this ordeal. "General, commander, are you sure you don't want to think this over one more time?"

"Relax, Rex," Anakin assured. "I can handle him."

"He chased you around the Temple for half-an-hour," Ahsoka pointed out.

"Aye, my young Padawan, but we're not in the Temple this time."

The ship landed and out stepped a very angry, little Obi-Wan. He was ushered towards Anakin and company by Cody.

"He's all yours, sir," Cody announced before retreating into the ship and flying off.

Anakin smirked down at his former Master's Padawan self. "First off, I'd like to apologize for my behaviour back at the Temple—"

"—Save it," Obi-Wan snapped as he walked past Anakin and towards the rest of the 501st. "Before you all ask, I'll clear the table of FAQs. Yes, I'm General Kenobi. No, I don't know how I became like this. And no, you may not attempt to pat my head, rub my back, or carry me if I fall over! Is that clear?"

A snort came from the sea of clones. Its source: Fives. Rex quickly gave him an 'abort, abort!' signal.

Obi-Wan's eyes gleamed sharply. "And NO! You canNOT laugh! NO LAUGHING!"

Anakin took in several deep breaths. Years of Jedi meditation training came to this moment. Ahsoka and Rex shared a concerned look.

"No wonder Cody was so eager in handing over him to us," Ahsoka frowned.

* * *

Despite what Anakin said about handling this bite-sized version of his former Master, the day couldn't have gone by any crazier.

"General Kenobi look out!" Rex shouted as he snatched Obi-Wan out of range of a tank explosion.

Obi-Wan caught his breath. Then pointed at Anakin. "Anakin! I said to wait a minute before detonating!"

"Not my fault you can't run out fast enough."

Ahsoka sighed. This was pretty much the template of their entire mission. They execute a plan. They mess up. Someone goes in to save Obi-Wan. And Obi-Wan blames it all on Anakin.

Yep, it was a day full of:

"Master Kenobi, get out of there!" Ahsoka warned as Obi-Wan wandered into a trap set by the Separatists.

"Hang on, general! We're coming to save you!" Jesse and Fives cried as they prepared a net to catch Obi-Wan, who was about to fall from another cliffside.

"Call for reinforcements! Call for reinforcements!" Rex shouted as he ran with Obi-Wan flung over his shoulder. A horde of droidekas chased after them.

Oh, and let's not forget: "ANAKIN! STOP BEING SO RECKLESS!"

"What did I do this time?" Anakin half moaned, half grinned.

At this point, Rex was banging his helmet-covered forehead against a giant boulder. Ahsoka, fearing the mental health of Rex and the entire 501st, decided to call the Council during a short break.

"Hi, Masters. Um, I think we need to reconsider our promise of taking in Master Kenobi…"

"Need not, Padawan Tano," Yoda revealed. "Found a cure, we have."

Rex heard the word 'cure' and rushed over. "A cure you said, sir?"

"Hmhm. Bring Kenobi to Coruscant, you must."

* * *

The clones of the 501st practically sighed in relief upon receiving the news of the cure. Finally, this day is over! They all took down their base camp and boarded the destroyer that would take them back to Coruscant.

"Just you wait," Obi-Wan wagged his finger at Anakin. "Just you wait until I'm restored to my previous self. You're going to wish you never laughed at me today."

"Oh, I doubt it," Anakin patted Obi-Wan on the head. "Once you're restored, you'll be the calm, snarky, Master I always knew."

"Stop playing innocent! I still think you're responsible for this!"

"We're back to this again?"

"You think I'm dumb? Who else would have the most benefit to me being reverted back to my Padawan years—ah!"

The destroyer suddenly shook violently. Everyone inside tumbled over. They had just been blasted at by another ship. But it wasn't by a Separatist ship.

No, it was by a Republic ship!

"Commander Cody! What are you doing? Why did you just blast them?" Boil demanded.

Cody looked down from the control panel. The unconscious body of the admiral laid next to him. "Don't you see? For too long, General Kenobi has been getting away with his sassiness and smartmouth! Too long he has been giving me heartattacks for being so careless! Well, not anymore! I successfully turned him into his younger, weaker, self with this awesome Dathomiran potion I got off the black market! Now _I_ will be the general of the 212th! Muahahahahaha! Ahahahahaha—"

**"—OH SHUT UP, COMPASS!"**

* * *

_Present day at a Republic garrison_

Several clones were sitting around a campfire. They were currently sharing campfire stories and Compass was in the middle of telling his.

That is, until Cody so rudely interrupted.

“I’ve tolerated your stupid story long enough! You’re not telling another word of it! You hear me?”

Compass calmly put his hands in his lap. “I don’t recall you interrupting _anyone else_ when they were telling _their_ campfire story, commander.”

“That’s because none of their stories involved me turning my general into his teenage years, then attempting to BLAST him, just so I could take his place! This is ludicrous!”

“That’s because there wasn't an ounce of creativity in any of their stories.”

“Steele!” Cody turned to Compass’s commander. “He’s _your_ soldier! Discipline him or something!”

Steele sighed. “Compass, please stop. If Cody complains to General Kenobi, then General Korentayer will have to write a thousand-word apology letter on your behalf. And that would make her very upset. Which would make _me_ very upset."

“Fine. Fair enough.” Compass stood up from the storyteller rock-chair and returned to his former seat.

“But. But what happened next?” Dogma demanded.

“Yeah, did Cody really kill General Kenobi and take his place?” Boil joined in.

“What about me and my men?” Rex asked. “Did we survive at least?”

“Why do you care?” Cody hit Rex on the arm.

“Well, after everything we did taking care of _your_ general, I don’t wanna be killed off that easily!”

“Yeah!” Fives agreed. “I wanna know how this ends!”

"Well, too bad. Because Commander Cody doesn't want me to continue," Compass said dryly.

"Oh c'mon!" Cody cried in frustration. "Isn't it obvious how it ends? I get captured and court-martialed for trying to kill miniature-sized General Kenobi and everyone lives happily ever after!"

"No, that's not how it ends," Compass replied.

That increased Jesse's need to know the ending. "C'mon, commander! Let him continue his story! Please!"

Soon, all the clones joined in begging Cody. After a minute of hearing ‘please’ and ‘c’mon’, Cody lets in. 

“ArrrrghFINE!”

Compass made his way over to the rock-chair again. He cleared his throat before continuing his story.

“Now, where was I? Oh yes, so Cody blasted General Weenobi’s ship…”

* * *

_Back in the story of General Weenobi_

Cody quickly took off to Coruscant after blasting the ship carrying Obi-wan. He needed to get to the cure before his general did.

Meanwhile on the blasted ship, Obi-Wan and Anakin were running about, trying to fix the situation. Luckily, Ahsoka already sent a distress signal.

"Hopefully, someone picked up on it!" Obi-Wan prayed.

Within seconds of him saying that, another Republic ship appeared out of hyperspace. The admiral of that ship contacted them.

"Hello, we have received your distress signal and are here to help."

"Well, thank the Force for plot convenience!" Obi-Wan threw up his hands.

* * *

The Jedi Council waited patiently for Obi-Wan to arrive. Which is why they were relieved to see a Republic ship landing in their hangar. But were shocked to see Cody step out, WITHOUT Obi-wan.

"Generals, I need that cure immediately!" Cody feigned desperation. "General Kenobi has been mortally wounded! If he isn't reverted to his stronger, healthier body, he won't make it!"

"Oh dear!" Yoda exclaimed. "Here, take the cure, you must!" He handed over a small vial of sparkly-looking liquid.

Cody couldn't believe how easy this was. "Thank you, general—"

"—Hold it right there!"

A second ship entered the hangar and a non-wounded little Obi-Wan jumped off from it. He landed neatly on the ground with one knee.

"How dare you betray me, Cody!"

Cody was about to pull out his blaster when suddenly, Obi-Wan was backed by Anakin, Ahsoka, Rex the entire 501st and even the 212th. He was vastly outnumbered.

But he still had the cure. Cody smirked. "How dare you speak to the new general of the 212th like that?"

With that, Cody drank the cure, thinking it was the best way to prevent Obi-Wan from getting his hands on it. Everyone looked at him in disbelief.

"Ha! Now, I shall lead as—" Suddenly, Cody winced. "Oh no. I don't feel so good. Ahhhh! It burns! It burns!"

Obi-Wan looked to Yoda. "What's going? What's happening to him?"

"When he said you were mortally wounded and needed the cure, saw through his lie, I have. So gave him spicy-liquor instead, I did."

"How could you!" Obi-Wan cried. He rushed over to Cody, who writhing on the ground in pain. "You're going to be ok, alright?"

"General Kenobi…" Cody coughed. "I'm so sorry about betraying you."

"Hush, I forgive you. I've been too sassy for my own good. Next time, I promise to watch my remarks more often."

"I'm not sure there'll be a next time…"

Cody passed out. Obi-Wan bawled. "Nooooo!"

Then, Anakin came up. "Don't worry, my best medic, Kix will bring him back!"

Kix nodded earnestly. "Behold, the cure for all hangovers!" He took out a large bottle. "Pure mineral water!"

He knelt down in front of Cody and poured the entire bottle down his throat with a tube. Five seconds later, Cody regained consciousness.

"I'm ok!"

"You're ok!" Obi-Wan hugged him.

"The day is saved!" Anakin clapped.

"Hip-hip-hooray!" The clones all cheered.

"Now, the real cure, I present!" Yoda revealed a vial of darker-looking liquid and gave it to Obi-Wan. "Learned our lesson, all of us, I hope."

"Of course!" Obi-Wan answered as he took the vial and drank it. "Never consume things without reading the labels first!"

He transformed back into his usual, bearded, middle-aged, self. Cody never thought he'd be more relieved to see his sassy general back in action.

And so, the adventure of the 212th, 501st, and the Jedi Council with General Weenobi came to an end. And everyone continued the war as if nothing had happened.

It was nothing but smiles and joy and laughter all the way. Except for Cody, who was hospitalized for mineral water overdose, the very next day.

_**General Weenobi: End** _

"To hell with you, Compass!" Cody boomed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N. For those who didn't realize, this chapter is based on 'Woodland Critter Christmas' from the tv show, South Park. (It's an adult comedy show with a lot of profanity and mature themes. So if you're going to check it out, you have been warned.)
> 
> I hope you all liked this chapter! If you did, please leave kudos or comments to let me know!
> 
> See you all next time! :)
> 
> \- MiraLake


	27. Nicknames (Interlude)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have 3 more chapters to release before Interlude is over. So I won't be taking any more requests for now (since I've already finalized my chapters).

**Nicknames (Interlude)**

_**The best nicknames are the accurate ones.** _

The 304th was wrapping up their most recent mission. They went around base, tearing everything down.

"I want a full supply check before we leave," Aliyah said to Steele.

"Yes, general."

They were walking around, making sure everyone's doing their part. And so far, everyone is.

"Here," Aliyah handed a datapad. "This is the list of everyone's assigned equipment."

Steele took it and nodded. "I'll get to checking right now."

* * *

Dogma was helping Compass take down a large tent. It wasn't a difficult task, but Compass was frustrated while doing this.

"You two can help out, you know?" He shouted at Kal and Egad.

The two of them were sitting outside the tent, enjoying the afternoon sun.

"General Korentayer said we're allowed to take a break. While our wounds heal." Egad answered coolly.

"A grazed kneecap is hardly a big deal." Compass grumbled as he unscrewed a pole.

"It was from a blaster bolt," Egad said.

"Which happened three days ago!" Compass shot back.

"I don't mind them just sitting there," Dogma confessed.

Compass's jaw dropped while Kal raised his water bottle at Dogma. "Thank you! At least someone's considerate."

"Kal, Egad, why are you two just sitting here?"

Steele suddenly appeared behind him and Egad. Compass immediately seized this chance to get back at his 'friends'.

"They're using the 'I'm wounded' excuse to get out of work, sir! Shall we report this to the general?"

Steele rolled his eyes under his goggles. "I meant why are they sitting out here in the sun. They should be in the infirmary."

"We're feeling much better lately," Kal revealed as he stood up. Egad followed suit.

Compass couldn't believe it. So they were sitting there the whole time just to spite him? What has he done to deserve that?

Steele looked at the two 'injured' clones. Seeing that they're able-enough, he made his decision.

"Alright, since you're both in walking condition. You're gonna help me check off borrowed equipment. This is the list of everything you need to inspect."

He handed over the datapad Aliyah gave him. Kal took it, turned it on, and looked at it. He frowned.

"But why is it titled '304th Legion Overview'?"

Steele immediately took the datapad back.

Compass and Dogma walked over to see what the confusion was about. Egad peered over Steele's shoulder to get a glimpse as well.

"This is not it," Steele muttered. "The general must've given me the wrong datapad."

"Are you sure? I mean, it could be in here. Maybe it's at the back." Compass snatched the datapad out of Steele's hand.

"Hey! Give it back!"

"I'm just double-checking!" Compass said as he swiped through the info.

Two seconds of silent concentration pass by.

And suddenly, Compass burst out laughing. Everyone was confused. Until he showed them what he saw.

On the datapad, was a page displaying Kal's information. And next to his designation number, was the name: 'Mr. Reliable'.

Kal attempted to grab the datapad but Compass was fast. "This is awesome!"

"What? Why? Why am I labelled 'Mr. Reliable'?" Kal demanded.

"Don't be insulted!" Compass retorted. "This is the _general's_ overview of our entire legion! Don't you see? This is her personal copy! And she's nicknamed you 'Mr. Reliable!' Now we know what she really thinks of you!"

Kal thought about that. He liked it. "Hmm. You're right. So, I'm super reliable."

Steele tried to grab the datapad again. But Compass wouldn't let it happen. "Hold on! I wanna see the other nicknames! Starting with Egad's!"

Now Egad's the one trying to rip the datapad away. "Compass! Don't you dare—"

"Well, look at that!" Compass turned the datapad around. "'Epitome of near-perfection'!"

"...Wow. It's actually pretty nice."

Egad smiled at the sight of his nickname. So General Korentayer always thought of him being near-perfect, eh?

Steele had enough of this. "Alright, Compass. Fun time's over."

"Please listen to the commander," Dogma added. The last thing he wanted was for Compass to get another month of toilet-scrubbing.

But Compass didn't have enough fun yet. He ran out of the tent.

"Hey, everyone!" Compass announced to all the clones who could hear him. "Come check out what the general's nickname for you is!"

"Compass! No, no—" Steele couldn't finish before a hoard of troopers ran past him.

They all surrounded Compass, who connected the datapad to a holoprojector so everyone could see its contents. This was going to be good.

"Alright, who got here first?" He asked.

"I did!" Vito pushed his way to the front.

Compass let Vito search for his designation number on the datapad. And a second later, his summary page was displayed.

"Aww! You're 'Big Red Softie'!" One of the troopers laughed.

"Do me next!" Another shouted.

Compass let that trooper up to type in his designation number. And displayed the nickname for everyone to see.

"Aw, hell! She calls me 'Flameproof'!"

"Must've been from the time you nearly set HQ on fire! What were you trying to do again?"

"He tried to heat some leftovers without unpackaging it first!"

"I wanna be next!"

One by one, clones went up to see what their general secretly called them. And one by one, they laughed at whatever name they saw.

Dogma eventually went up with the encouragement of Kal. He anxiously waited for his nickname to show up. And when it did, everyone nearly doubled over.

"Why am I called 'Jellybean'?" Dogma was visibly confused.

"I dunno, but it's absolutely adorable!" Compass put an arm around his shoulder.

More clones went and saw their nicknames.

"I'm 'Blaster infestation'!"

"I got 'True Mandalorian Son of Jango'? The hell?"

"She calls me 'Dead-shot'! I feel good about my sniping skills now!"

"Can someone tell me what 'Tall Yoda' means?"

The nicknames ranged from hilarious to flattering to downright confusing. Eventually, one of them asked Compass if he saw his nickname yet.

"No, I haven't!" Compass realized.

He immediately typed in his number. And eagerly waited for the result to show up. As soon as it did, everyone cheered loudly.

"'Exemplary model'?!" Egad read the nickname aloud in disbelief. "There's no way she was in her right mind when she wrote that! NO WAY! She must've been drunk or something!"

Compass looked Egad smugly. "You see that 'Epitome of near-perfection'? Maybe you should follow my lead from now on."

"No!" Egad half cried, half laughed. "I'm gonna ask the general about this once we board the destroyer! I need to get to the bottom of this!"

Everyone laughed. Compass continued to tease his friend. "Jealous much?"

"You wish!" Egad glared.

Compass laughed obnoxiously. "I have the best nickname in the entire legion: change my mind."

"Challenge accepted!" Egad immediately turned to Steele. "Commander! Bring up _your_ nickname!"

Everyone immediately jumped up in agreement. Egad smirked at Compass, he knew exactly what he was doing.

And so did everyone else.

"Yeah, let's see it!"

"It's definitely gonna be something extravagant!"

"I bet it'll be endearing!"

"One thing's for sure, it'll be better than Compass's!" Egad said with utmost confidence.

Compass hated to admit, but Egad may be right. No one could top the level of importance the commander was to their general…

After a minute of begging and pestering, Steele reluctantly made his way to the datapad. "Fine. But this is the last one we're seeing."

He typed in his designation number. His resulting information page popped up on the projector for everyone to see.

Along with his nickname: 'My treasured one.'

There was no laughter or cheering this time. Instead, everyone pointed and cooed.

"Awwwwwwwww!"

"How sweet!"

"That's so wholesome!"

"She's soft for you, commander!"

Welp, Egad did it. He made Compass change his mind. However, Compass didn't seem to care much for it. He's found a new teasing call.

Prancing up to Steele, Compass sang, "Well, well, well. How does it feel? To be so loved?"

Dogma nodded, his eyes widened. "Yeah. What'd you do to be valued that much?"

"Shut it, Jellybean," Steele gently hit Dogma on the back of the head.

"Yeah, Jellybean!" Compass joined in. "Don't you know better than to pry into the commander's personal life?"

Steele sent Compass flying out of the tent. That turned all the pointing and cooing into laughter.

Sighing, Steele disconnected the projector from the datapad and ordered everyone to get back to work. He's never going to hear the end of this.

* * *

It took an hour for the entire base to be torn down. And for the supplies to be checked thoroughly. Thanks to the help of Kal, who got the proper datapad from Aliyah.

Everywhere Steele went, he was teased about that darn nickname. Yep, that thing spread like wildfire.

"Hey, 'treasured one'! Be careful not to get tainted!" Two troopers said while putting crates away.

"You want toilet-scrubbing time?" Steele challenged.

"No, sir!" They instantly replied.

"Then I better not hear that again! _Especially_ if the general's nearby!"

"Yes, sir!"

But as soon as Steele turned around, they started whispering again. He decided not to take it to heart. But it still bothered him.

Steele was met with the same treatment as he kept walking around.

"Keep yourself safe, 'treasured one'!"

"How about spraying some gold over your armour?"

"Good job, commander! She thinks very highly of you!"

"Don't listen to them, sir! I think it's a great nickname!"

Half-an-hour later, the final pieces of the base were brought onboard. At last, the teardown and packing was over. What a relief.

"Alright! Guess we can say goodbye to this world now!" Aliyah looked at the empty scenery from the destroyer's ramp.

"Yeah…" Steele weakly agreed.

Aliyah looked at him. "What's wrong?"

"When you handed me the datapad containing the list of everyone's equipment. It was actually your personal copy of the legion's overview." Steele took out the wrongly given datapad. And handed it back to her.

"Oh, my bad." Aliyah laughed as she took it back. "Glad you still managed to check everyone's equipment."

"Yeah. But that's not the problem." Steele lets out a low whistle. "Some of the men discovered that you…wrote nicknames for them on each of their info page…"

"Ohhhh…"

At first, Aliyah looked a bit flustered. But then she started laughing. Much to Steele's surprise.

"Oh no! Did they like it, though? Their nicknames?"

"Um, most of them did."

Aliyah grinned. "I tried my best to be nice. But I tried to be honest too. Besides, those nicknames are from a month ago. So they're pretty up to date with what I've seen from you guys so far."

"Oh, so you were sincere in all those nicknames?" Steele questioned.

"Mmhmm. Didn't need to think hard to come up with them. Most were the first words that came to mind when I thought of each of you."

She turned around to walk up the ramp. Steele continued to gaze at the empty scenery for a while longer.

He needed to control his adrenaline level. And standing next to Aliyah was not helping. Especially after she said that she was being honest in creating those nicknames.

Which meant his nickname, 'My treasured one', was the first thing that came to her mind when she thought of him.

"Steele! Let's go!" Aliyah called.

He complied and caught up beside her. The ramp closed. The destroyer prepared to take off.

The two walked towards the bridge. Aliyah noticed a bit of discomfort in her commander.

"Say, Steele? Did you see your nickname too?"

_Say yes! She's a Jedi, there's no way to lie around her! But what'll her answer be if you say no? Blast this. Just be honest._

"Yes."

Aliyah raised a brow. "And what do you think?"

 _Blast being honest_.

"I think I'd like to know what you mean by it." Steele carefully answered.

Aliyah put her hands behind her back. She looked forward while formulating what to say next. Steele felt his palms sweating as he waited.

Finally, she spoke.

"I meant exactly by what I wrote for you." Aliyah patted his shoulder. "Don't overthink it."

"Just saying that makes me overthink it," Steele shook his head.

"Then by all means, overthink it." Aliyah shrugged. "Are you thinking simpler now?"

"No!"

"Well, how about this? I nicknamed you that because you're important to me and I'd never deliberately put your life on the line."

Steele paused. "That makes sense."

Aliyah nodded smugly. But Steele wasn't finished yet. "But _only_ to me. Everyone else is thinking of other things. And I assure you, if their thoughts are made public. There's gonna be nothing but trouble for both of us."

"Oh, the rest of the men saw your nickname too?"

"Yes! Now I'm never gonna live down their antics!" Steele put his hand against his visor. "What am I supposed to say every time they bring that up?"

Aliyah rushed in front of Steele and stopped. Stopping him in his tracks as well. She looked at him.

"Is that what's bothering you?"

"...That's not the only thing." Steele slowly revealed. "General, I'm not oblivious. I know what Jedi are and aren't allowed to do. The most famous one, being the no—"

"—no attachment rule. I know," Aliyah said, sounding a little exasperated. "It's already been drilled into me about a thousand times."

Now Steele crossed his arms. "Please don't make trouble for yourself."

"You don't have to worry," Aliyah assured. "I'm not planning on getting in trouble with the Council anytime soon."

Steele was relieved. "Good. Because I intend to serve you until the day this war ends."

"Good to know we're on the same page."

The destroyer finally took off.

"By the way, are you serious about Compass's nickname?"

"Oh, absolutely."

_**Nicknames: End** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N. Hi, everyone. I hope you liked this chapter (especially you shippers out there) because I haven't been feeling too great lately.
> 
> Honestly, I've ever felt this overwhelmed before (university really doesn't get easier after first year ;_;). And I think a good chunk of it is because of this story.
> 
> I love writing, I love The Clone Wars, and I love attentive readers like you. But writing this story has been draining me of the time and attention I usually dedicate to studying. As a result, I'm now rushing through 6 units of a course that's supposed to be a 'GPA booster' to prep for its midterm!
> 
> I'm not saying that I'll stop writing altogether. But I just want to let you know, that my hiatus in between arcs (like this one and 'Clone Force 99') will be a lot longer. And the hiatus between 'Clone Force 99' and the arc after that will probably be even longer (because I'll be back in full-time studies by then).
> 
> So all I ask for is, please be understanding and loyal. I always do my best to be as transparent as possible with you. If I do go on a semester-long hiatus, I hope you'll be willing to wait for me.
> 
> Thank you and see you all next time! :)
> 
> \- MiraLake


	28. Rescue Mission (Interlude)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N. Here's a one-shot featuring Dogma! Thanks for sticking with me this far, only 2 more chapters to go before Interlude ends and the hiatus begins.
> 
> I know this Interlude isn't drama-filled, but that's kind of the point. I'm using this as a chance to use your requested ideas and to give a little more insight to my characters that I wouldn't be able to do in major arcs.
> 
> Besides, once we reach my Clone Force 99 arc, things will start going serious, maybe even a bit dark. Mentions and suspicions of Order 66 will start coming up and eventually open a chain of events that'll lead to my story's final arc and ending.
> 
> I really want to get to the end. And I hope you will be with me throughout the journey, despite the hiatuses.
> 
> See you all next time! :)
> 
> \- MiraLake

**Rescue Mission (Interlude)**

**_The first step towards change is always the hardest_ **

On Alderaan, Senators Amidala, Organa, and Christo, manage to apprehend Separatist, Dyrsk Zas. After he attempted to infiltrate a war relief conference being hosted there.

However, the Separatists responded to his capture faster than the Republic and have invaded the conference building where Zas is being kept. Due to their coincidental proximity to Alderaan, a detachment of the 304th are sent to rescue the Senators and apprehend Zas.

"The safety and lives of the Senators come first!" Aliyah reminded her men as their gunship neared the ground. "This is a rescue mission, not a takeover. Understood?"

"Yes, general!" They all responded.

A second later, they landed. Droidfire came in from all directions. Aliyah ran to the front, taking on the brunt of the wave and providing some cover for everyone behind her.

Steele stayed close behind her, helping to clear out a path in front. He and the rest of the clones laid damage to the droids, allowing them to progress forward.

Dogma stayed close to Compass, who nudged him in the elbow. "Calm your breathing, Dogma. This isn't your first time on the battlefield with us."

"No. But it is my first time rescuing politicians with you."

Compass fired some more shots. "Hey, but Senator Organa's one of the politicians we're saving! Aren't you glad?"

Dogma smiled fondly under his helmet. He owed much to Senator Organa. That man did a lot for him during his court-martial.

"I'm not glad. I'm thrilled." Dogma said as he ran to catch up with the rest of his comrades.

The clones quickly cleared the droids blocking the entrance and entered the conference building. Inside, Aliyah contacted the Senators.

"Senator Organa? This is General Korentayer, we're inside."

The staticky voice of Senator Organa came from the other end. "Thank goodness! I'm with Senators Amidala and Christo. We're currently holding Dyrsk Zas in the safe room."

"Alright, we're coming to get you."

"Please hurry. I fear we may be overwhelmed if the droids keep coming in."

The call ended. Aliyah took a quick look around, the building was in absolute chaos. For every droid they shot down, two more appeared from the dust. Senator Organa was right, time is of the essence.

"Commander!" Aliyah calls Steele over.

"Yes, general?"

"We're going to split up our forces. I need you to make a rescue squad for the Senators. The rest of us will deal with the droids."

Steele nodded. "I'll assemble the squad right now."

Turning away from the battle, Steele shouts a list of names which includes Kal and, shockingly, Dogma. The clones whose names were called rushed over.

Compass gave Dogma a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder. "You got this."

Dogma thanked him for the encouragement. Then he joined the rest of the called troopers in front of Steele.

"Sir?" Kal asked for the reason they were called.

"You've been chosen to go rescue the Senators and apprehend Dyrsk Zas," Steele explained. "Kal, I'm putting you in charge of this."

Kal nodded obediently. The squad stood up to leave. Dogma's legs buckled a bit when he did. Luckily, Steele noticed that.

He pulled Dogma by the arm. "Hey, I only have three rules for you. Stay safe, stay alive, stay behind Kal. Other than that, feel free to use your own intuition."

"Understood." Dogma remembered to leave out 'sir'.

Steele let go of Dogma and pointed at Kal. "Keep him safe!"

"Yes, sir!" Kal answered.

With that, Kal led the squad of clones down the opposite direction of the hall. Their destination: the safe room.

Steele rejoined his general and remaining men in battle. Aliyah glimpsed at him. "You sent Dogma with them?"

"Yes," Steele replied. "It should be a good growing experience for him. Being a part of an independent side-team instead of the main infantry."

* * *

Down the conference hall, the rescue squad met with significantly fewer droids than before. But it wasn't completely safe. Every corner, door, and piece of debris introduced an ambush.

"Take them out!" Kal ordered when a set of B1s suddenly came out of a broken door.

The clones handled them with ease. But before they could move on, Dogma saw movement coming from the room behind the broken door.

"Is anyone there?" He demanded.

"Is it safe to come out?" A woman's voice came from the room. The owner of the voice appeared soon after. "Sorry, I wasn't sure from the blaster shots whether you were friend or foe."

Dogma relaxed. "We're here to help. Who are you?"

"Tekla Minau," the woman answered. "I'm an aide to Senator Amidala of Naboo."

"Senator Amidala?" Kal joined the conversation. "We're actually on our way to save her and her colleagues right now. Why are you out here instead of with her?"

"Long story short: we got separated during the droid invasion." Tekla stepped towards the clones, looking a little nervous.

Kal lowered his blaster. "Well, don't worry. We've cleared a pathway to the exit behind us. You should be able to safely get out now."

"Actually, I was hoping I could go with you!" Tekla rushed forward. "I need to return to the Senator's side."

"Look, that's very dutiful but you need to worry about yourself—"

"—Please. I won't get in the way," Tekla begged.

Kal was about to argue again but Dogma intervened. "If she's set on returning to Senator Amidala, then I doubt she'd leave here safely by herself. She's better off with us, captain."

Looking back and forth from Tekla to Dogma, Kal made his decision. "Alright. But if come across any more civilians, we can't take them with us. Let's move!"

Tekla turned to Dogma. "Thank you, trooper."

"No problem." Dogma replied before ushering her with the rest of the squad.

* * *

The rescue team progressed through the inner portion of the conference hall. They met up with several more people who worked at this building and were unfortunately caught in the middle of this attack.

"We were holding a relief talk today when Zas attempted to pull a hijacking by himself," Tekla explained the clones.

"By himself? Was he going to stage a suicide bombing?" Kal was shocked by the stupidity of this captured Separatist.

"He might've. He's a little deranged if you ask me," an attendee of the relief talk answered.

Dogma was helping him to his feet. Two other attendees were being tended to by the rest of the squad behind them. As soon as they felt ready to stand, the three attendees left for the exit.

By now, the clones have encountered a good number of civilians. Ranging from relief talk attendees to building employees.

And every encounter almost always involved rescuing them from a few droid stragglers. Many of which Dogma played a huge part in. And for every rescue, he'd receive a shower of thank you's.

All those thank you's was repairing Dogma's broken pride. He's starting to remember why and who he's fighting for. Yes, it's for the Republic. But more importantly, it's for the everyday citizens, like the civilians he's met and rescued so far.

 _Perhaps it's not so bad, being a clone after all._ Dogma thought.

"We're almost to the safe room!" Kal announced.

The squad were closing in on the most inner part of the building. High-level security mechanisms and doors filled the hallway.

They carefully made their way through the area. Tekla stayed close behind Dogma, who kept a good eye on both her and Kal. Eventually, Kal stopped in front of a large bolted door and knocked on it.

"Republic forces here to rescue you! Let us in!" He announced.

The door was unlocked and opened slowly by a few bodyguards. They lowered their weapons upon seeing the clones.

"Senators!" Captain Typho, one of the bodyguards, shouted over his shoulder. "Help has arrived!"

From the back of the safe-room, appeared the three Senators. They looked relieved. The clones and Tekla entered the room. Senator Amidala rushed forward upon seeing her aide.

"Tekla!" She hugged her tightly. "I was so afraid you were killed after we got separated!"

"I might've been if it wasn't for these brave soldiers," Tekla confessed.

"Thank you," Senator Amidala said to Kal.

"Thank Dogma," Kal gestured to the clone of said name behind him. "He's the one who noticed her."

"Dogma?" Senator Organa walked up to him with a look of shock and joy. "What a pleasure this is! To see you again!"

"Likewise, Senator." Dogma really meant it.

He was more than happy to help out the man who defended him so fervently in court. But he couldn't help but notice the look of disdain he got from Senator Christo.

 _Right. I almost forgot there were Senators who didn't buy my story._ Dogma thought. He shook off the uncomfortable feeling he got from the look.

"Looks like we're all going to make it out safely now," Senator Amidala remarked.

"Oh? Even me?" A male voice asked from the corner.

It was Dyrsk Zas. The youthful Nikto Separatist was handcuffed and on his knees. An entourage of guards surrounded him.

One of them struck him on the head. "Quiet, Zas!"

The clones all looked over. Senator Organa assured them it's under control. "Don't worry, we managed to subdue him quite easily. He was foolish enough to think he could blow up this place without being recognized. How wrong he was."

"How wrong _you_ are, Senator," Zas retorted. "Because now my allies are doing it for me."

Kal scoffed. "Clankers are your allies? Thanks for the laugh. I needed it. Anyways, Senators, we really should be heading out now."

Everyone agreed. But before they could start moving, Senator Organa stopped them. "Wait! Captain, there's this emergency hangar not too far from here. I know the way there well, it may serve as a safer escape option."

"Is it accessible to us?" Kal asked.

"Yes. I have authorization."

"Great! Then, you lead us and we'll protect you."

Senator Organa nodded. He went to the front of the group with Kal and Dogma. After everyone got their bearings and Zas was forced to his feet, they left the safe room. Their new destination is the emergency hangar.

* * *

"There's just no end to this!" Compass shouted as another wave of droids entered the hallway.

The clones and their Jedi General quickly took care of this wave just like the last one. They retreated back to catch their breaths. So far, they've been clearing hall after hall, room after room, but the droids just keep appearing.

And they still haven't heard back from the rescue squad yet either. So they can't assume all's done.

"We can't keep them at bay this long, general," Egad stated. "We'll tire out eventually. And they'll get through to the Senators and the rescue squad inside."

Aliyah nodded. "I know. We need to find the source of their entry and plug it."

"I think I have an idea as to where to start." Steele was looking out the window.

Everyone followed his gaze. Out in the distance, partially hidden by fog, were several cable-like ropes. The origin of those cables was hard to make out but the clones could tell they definitely latched somewhere onto this building.

"Those cables might be how the clankers are getting in," Steele elaborated his hypothesis.

Aliyah gave him a thankful smirk. "Let's see where they're extending from."

She stood up to face the droidfire again. Everyone followed suit.

* * *

The rescue squad clones accompanied the politicians and their entourage through the halls. Things were going rather smooth. Senator Organa knew where they were going.

But the tension in the air was thick.

Dyrsk Zas could easily tell it was due to Senator Christo. He smirked. "Senator Christo, what's got you so on your toes?"

"Shut up," one of the clones answered.

"It's because of that clone standing in the front, isn't it? The next to Senator Organa?"

Dogma grew goosebumps. Zas was referring to him.

Senator Christo gave Zas a modest glare but didn't say anything. Instead, Kal reacted to Zas's remark.

"Excuse you, Seppie."

"I'm right though. You think I don't know about the Umbara incident? Or the court-martial of CT-5140 aka that clone standing on the right of Senator Organa?"

"You're already walking on a tightrope, Zas," Senator Amidala warned.

But he ignored her and kept talking. "Let me guess, Senator Christo. You never supported his side of the story."

"That's enough from you!" Senator Organa shouted.

Not liking being the cause of this dispute, Dogma decided to put a stop to it.

"Look! Is that the hangar entrance?" He pointed in front of them.

Everyone stopped fighting to look in his direction. Senator Organa nodded, though still a bit bitter. "Yes, that's it. Come on, everyone. Let's get out of here."

* * *

Aliyah and her clones finally came into view of the cable-ropes' origin. It was extending from a Separatist ship docked on the edge of a mountain ridge. Droids were being attached to the cables via a zipline gear and sliding over.

"Looks like we found the source, general!" Egad said in between blaster shots.

"Question now is, how do we plug it?" Steele asked.

After deflecting two blaster bolts back to their shooters, Aliyah looked out the broken window at the Separatist ship and its extension cables. "I think I can bring it down."

Steele immediately knew she was meaning to use the Force. "How long do you need?"

"As long as you can give me!"

Aliyah deactivated her lightsaber and made her way over to the edge of the broken window. There, she concentrated on reaching into the Force to pull down the Separatist ship.

"Cover the general!" Steele barked.

"Yes, sir!"

All the clones fired and fought harder than before. They were making sure no droid could get through. At least, not until their general's brought down the ship.

Initially, keeping the droids at bay was easy. But soon, more came in, forcing the clones to fall back a little. Steele had to blow up parts of the ceiling to make a small barricade.

Aliyah checked on her men from the corner of her eye. Steele noticed that. "Don't worry about us, focus on the ship!"

So she did. This time, she managed to feel a budge.

The clones began targeting any droid that showed its head over the barricade. It bought them some more time before another wave of droids decided to show up. They marched over the barricade and towards the clones.

"Not today," Steele grunted.

Suddenly, a loud crash was heard in the distance. It was the sound of the Separatist ship falling over the mountain and hitting the rocks below.

"Thanks for the cover!" Aliyah suddenly appeared in front of Steele, shielding him from incoming blaster bolts. "Sorry it took so long!"

"Well, as long as you succeeded!" Steele replied.

They were finally getting somewhere. And hopefully soon, they would receive word from Kal.

* * *

The group of politicians and clones rushed inside the emergency hangar. There was a single starship ready for use in the centre of it.

"Let's get on board," Senator Organa waved everyone over.

"Wait, we'll take a quick look around," Kal said. "Can't be too careful."

"I'll do it," Dogma offered.

He sounded a bit tired. That concerned Kal. "You don't have to."

"No, it's fine. You…contact the commander. Tell him we're safe with the Senators."

Kal sighed. "Ok."

Dogma turned around to walk to the far end of the hangar. He took out a scanner to check for any suspicious anomalies such as bombs or listening devices.

The rest of the politicians prepared to board the starship. Kal proceeded to contact Steele. "Commander, are you there? We've secured the Senators and are preparing to leave via the emergency hang–HEY, HEY!"

Kal caught sight of Zas's pocket-sized grenade too late.

_BOOM!_

The grenade went off. Thankfully, Kal's last-minute warning gave everyone a chance to dive away. But the explosion still knocked them out pretty badly.

Dogma got lucky and only received the border-edge impact. When the smoke cleared, he could see the barely conscious bodies of his comrades, the Senators, and their bodyguards.

And that's when he realized 2 people were missing.

"Urgh!"

Turning his head to the right, Dogma saw Senator Christo being held in a chokehold by Zas. They were walking towards the outside runway.

Dogma swore under his breath as he limped after them.

Out on the runway, Zas contacted someone on a commlink. "I'm on the emergency hangar. Come and get me. Oh, sorry, 'please come and get me'."

"Let him go, Zas," Dogma aimed his blaster at the Separatist's head.

"You know, if you actually meant it, I might be trembling in fear right now."

"Let him go."

Zas brought himself and Christo closer to the runway's edge. "You can stop the act now, you know? Or else I might really drop him."

"Let. Him. Go." Dogma repeated for the 3rd time.

"Geez, you're like a broken transceiver," Zas scowled. "Is this how obedient clones are? You'd risk yourself to save a guy who was pushing for your death sentence? A guy who only sees you as a war asset. You really value him that much?"

"I value my pride and honour." Dogma spoke. _Besides, the last thing I want is for Senator KRIFFING Christo to be on my conscience. As if Krell wasn't bad enough already._

To say Zas was amused would be an understatement. He didn't expect that kind of answer from Dogma at all. In the distance, he could see a ship coming closer and closer. It was his ride.

"Fine. Come save him then!"

In the blink of an eye, Zas turned around, dropped Senator Christo over the edge and jumped onto the ship that came to pick him up. Dogma dove forward just in time to grab Christo's right hand.

Inside the getaway ship, Zas thanked his pilot. "Nice timing, general."

"Quiet, you man-child!" Grievous snapped. "Do you have any idea how much trouble you caused for Dooku? If I were him I'd have your head the second you went off on your own!"

The ship flew off. Leaning over the edge of the runway, Dogma struggled to hold onto Christo who was scared out of his wits. "Help me! Help me please!"

"I'm trying, sir!"

Dogma attempted to pull Christo up. But it was difficult with his squirming and the vibrations from explosions happening around the building.

"Please, I don't want to die here!" Christo wailed.

"Well then, quit squirming!" Dogma snapped but then quickly softened his tone. "Bring up your other hand, it'll make pulling you in easier."

Christo attempted to reach up to Dogma with his other hand but lacked the strength to do so. He kept missing and it severely depleted his energy.

Another explosion suddenly occurred. The shock and vibrations from it nearly made Dogma lose his grip on the Senator.

Christo screamed. "Aaaahhhhhh—"

"—I gotcha!"

Steele appeared next to Dogma and reached down to grab Christo's free hand. Dogma was relieved.

Together, they pulled Christo back up to safety. The Quarren Senator never breathed so heavily all his life.

Behind them inside the hangar, the rest of the 304th force were tending to the injured. Aliyah and two clone medics rushed out to the hangar.

"Senator Christo, are you alright?" She asked.

"I'll…be fine," Christo answered as the medics helped him stand.

"He just went through a lot," Dogma added. "Be gentle with him."

"We will," one of the medics said.

Before they could walk back inside the hangar, Christo turned to Dogma. "Thank you. You saved my life, Dogma. I was wrong about you during the trial."

Dogma politely nodded back at the Senator. "Your welcome."

Christo and the medics walked away. Aliyah followed them, after praising Dogma for saving Christo.

"I let Zas getaway," Dogma muttered when it was just him and Steele.

"You did it to rescue the Senator. And it was the Senator who had been coldly indifferent to you. It must've been hard, but you chose to be the bigger person. Be proud of yourself, Dogma."

_**Rescue Mission: End** _


	29. So, what was your life before? (Interlude)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter may contain sensitive content that's not comfortable for some readers. I've put a *** to mark where that part begins and ends.
> 
> A/N. Next chapter is the final chapter in Interlude. It's an important one since I'll be including a very important note at the end of it. So I hope you all read it!
> 
> Oh, and as usual, please leave kudos or comments if you liked this!
> 
> See you all next time! :)
> 
> \- MiraLake

**So, what was your life before? (Interlude)**

_**Your origins don't define you** _

"Ha!" A youngling propelled off the Temple wall towards Aliyah.

His lightsaber in hand.

Aliyah dodged it with ease. The youngling, a little Rhodian, stumbled upon landing on the ground.

From the sidelines, his two classmates charged in. Synchronizing their attacks to knock Aliyah off balance.

But she blocked their attacks with her lightsaber. Then countered with a Force push.

The Rhodian got back to his feet. He saw his classmates, a female Gungan and a male human, get knocked back. That made him more determined.

"Come on, guys! Let's get serious!" He encouraged them.

"Right!" His classmates agreed.

Aliyah smiled as she put her lightsaber away, levelling the playing field a little. She's ready to defend herself against these three young challengers.

The younglings commenced the fight. They were careful to avoid Aliyah's Force pulls and pushes. And at the same time, they launched an endless wave of lightsaber jabs at her blindsides.

From above, Steele watched with interest. The Gungan girl plants a close strike at Aliyah's head.

"Close one!" She praised.

By now, the younglings have found a potential path to victory. They're trying to ruin her concentration since her primary offense right now was the Force.

Though they've discovered a weakness, the younglings were beginning to tire. But they still weren't willing to give up.

With the direction of the Rhodian, they launched one last all-out attack. It was coordinated and well-timed.

But it wasn't enough.

Aliyah disarmed them one by one, and then carefully Force pushed them away. She tightened the rope belt around her waist.

"Not bad, kids." She went up to lend a hand. "Anyone hurt?"

"No…" The Rhodian groaned as Aliyah helped him up. "So, do we pass?"

Aliyah looked at the two other younglings. Then looked up, and saw Steele.

He tapped his wrist to say it's time to go. Aliyah nodded.

"I'll let you guys know later." She waved them goodbye.

Steele waited until she reached his side. Then they began walking away together.

"What's the update?" She asked.

"Some folks at the Senate don't like Dogma's last report," Steele revealed.

"Sigh. Are you kidding me?"

"I wish I was. Anyways, I tried handling the situation but man they're stubborn! Why is it that politicians are always on either end of the spectrum but never in between?"

Aliyah waved her hand. "It's fine, you did enough. Take a rest, I'll handle these stubborn sons of banthas."

"Thanks," Steele looked behind them at the place where Aliyah was fighting the younglings. "By the way, why were you with those kids?"

"Plo says I should start looking for a Padawan. So I am."

Oh no. Steele started sweating. "So are any of them showing potential? Should I tell the boys to start expecting a little one soon?"

"Yes."

"What?!"

"Just kidding."

"That wasn't funny."

Aliyah chuckled. "Well, don't worry. I don't feel emotionally ready to take a kid to war yet. But when I do, I'll make sure to put them with you for initiation."

Steele sighed. "Well, as long as they don't ask me a billion questions."

* * *

The ride to the Senate building wasn't long. But Steele wished it was. He never liked that place anyways. Aliyah saw that and decided to not make him go inside.

"Wait for me, I shouldn't be long," she told him once they arrived.

"Where should I wait?"

"Why not tour around the neighbourhood? Enjoy the sights?" She shrugged before disappearing into the building.

Steele turned around. The entire city suddenly seemed bigger. He doesn't come to Coruscant often. But when he does, he never seems to be ready for it.

"Let's see, where to start?"

Several minutes later…

Steele has finished visiting the final store on the block. He left with a bunch of flyers and samples. Just like he did with all the previous stores.

"Please come again!"

"Thanks for shopping here!"

"Would you like to try our deluxe one of a kind—"

"—One taste of this spirit. And your senses will explode!"

Those were all the responses he got during this little trip. Everyone was so eager to please him. To sell him something that doesn't seem particularly useful.

_Is this the kind of life these civilians live? The kind of life we're fighting to protect?_

He sat down on a bench just across from the Senate building. The surrounding area was filled with young families and kids.

Two kids, a Twi'lek boy and girl, went up to him.

"Mister, are you a clone?" The girl asked.

Steele looked around to see if their parents are nearby. But no adult came up behind them. So he assumed it's fine to start a conversation.

"Yes, I am."

"Really?" The girl beamed. She grinned at the boy. "See, brother? I told you we'd meet one here."

"You wanted to meet a clone?" Steele was curious. "Why?"

"She has this really weird question that only a clone can answer." The boy rolled his eyes.

"It's not weird!" The girl insisted. "Mister, I was wondering. Um, how were you made?"

The boy's right. That is a really weird question. But Steele answered it anyway. "In breeding tanks."

"What's a breeding tank?"

"A place where clones like me develop."

"So it's like a place made by your parents?"

Steele internally laughed at the kid's innocence. "No, we don't have parents."

The girl looked sad. "Oh. Then who takes care of you?"

"The Kaminoans."

"Do they make you go to school and do homework? And ground you when you do bad stuff?"

"Haha, kind of." Steele's commlink beeped. Aliyah must've finished her talk. "Sorry, kids. I need to go now."

"To do soldier stuff?" The boy asked.

"More or less."

"Did you always know you wanted to do that kind of stuff?" The girl asked.

That caught Steele off-guard. He strung together a quick, decent answer. "I didn't have a choice. It's what I was born for."

"Lucky," the girl sighed. "I wish I had something I was born for. Then I wouldn't have to go through the work of studying and figuring out what I wanted."

Steele's commlink beeped again. He walked out of the area. Once he got the Senate, he saw Aliyah was already outside waiting for him.

By then, the words from little girl had penetrated into him.

* * *

"Well, it was hard, it was nerve-wracking, but I managed to convince them Dogma didn't intentionally break the protocol that said if circumstances occur where he is separated from us or a soldier of 1-year experience, he should prioritize regrouping with the legion."

"What? He broke a protocol?" Steele asked, though sounding a bit distant.

"Back on Alderaan, when Kal and the rescue squad were incapacitated by Zas's grenade? Dogma was left with no viable supervisor, but he instead of regrouping with us, he chose to go save Senator Christo. Thus, breaking one of the many protocols listed for him. That's what those damn Senators chose to focus on, not the fact that he saved the life of one of their colleagues! Can you believe it? Dogma's been nothing but great since joining us!"

"Yeah," Steele nodded. "He takes pride in being a soldier."

"Don't we all?"

"'We', general?" Steele raised a brow. "Aren't Jedi supposed to be peacekeepers?"

Aliyah pursed her lips. "That's the image the Council so desperately wants to keep up. But if you ask anyone from here to Tatooine, they'll tell you Jedi are soldiers. Fighting for the Republic."

The question from the little Twi'lek girl was still stuck in Steele's head. The one where she asked if he didn't do anything else other than this job.

He decides not to bring it up until they've reached the Jedi Temple's info room. Minutes pass by, and the pair finally reach there.

They enter the room, with Aliyah walking in front. She was wholly focused on rewriting Dogma's report. But Steele's mind was elsewhere.

He brings up the bothersome question. "General, what do you call someone who's dedicated their entire life to doing just one job?"

"Admirable," Aliyah answered as she continued typing away on her datapad. "Give me a sec, I need to revise Dogma's report right now."

So Steele gave her a second. And a bit more. Then Aliyah asked, "Any more questions?"

"Yes. Is my life admirable?"

Aliyah looked up from the datapad to focus on Steele. He further explained.

"Not just mine. But all of my brothers? I mean—we don't have any other life, but this. From the day we're created to the day we die. It's fight, serve, obey. Nothing else came before that."

Aliyah put down the datapad. She wondered what happened while she was gone to cause him to think that.

Oh well, whatever it was. She needs to remove that self-doubt.

"From the day you were created, it's fight, serve, obey. But after that, it's so much more. Your origins don't define you." Aliyah returned to working on the datapad.

That did put some ease in Steele. But a part of him knows that he'll never know what it's like to be normal. To actually have a choice in his life's purpose. Instead of leaving things to fate.

After all, it was fate that paired him with General Krell initially. But it was also fate that brought in General Korentayer.

Speaking of which…Jedi also don't have a lot of choice in their lives. But at the very least, they had something before they dedicated themselves to this Order…including Aliyah…

"General?"

"Yes?" Aliyah replied without looking up from the datapad.

"You said that origins don't define who you are."

"That's right."

"So, what was your life before?"

Aliyah froze. She dropped the datapad. It clattered loudly against the floor. A choked whimper escaped from her throat, causing her to cover her mouth.

Tears streamed down her face.

Steele was at a complete loss.

His general—who's been through life-or-death situations by the hundreds—who always handled tough calls with ease—is crying.

A Jedi.

Crying.

The first thing Steele did, was lock the door. He didn't want anyone else coming in at this time. The next thing he did, was rush up to his general and wrap his arms around her.

Protocols be damned.

"Hey, it's ok. It's ok." His voice shaking as he spoke. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked that. I'm so sorry."

Aliyah didn't say anything. She wrapped her arms tightly around him. Her cries became muffled against his shoulder.

For a while, they just stood there. Holding each other. While Aliyah cried and Steele apologized.

"I'm sorry…"

* * *

The skies of Coruscant dimmed, marking the beginning of the evening. It was still bright when Steele accompanied Aliyah from the Senate to the Temple info room.

That's how much time had passed.

Steele was now standing silently against the wall of a private den near the Temple hangar. Aliyah was sitting at a table in front of him.

"Steele…"

He went up to her. "Do you, uh…want to talk now?"

He had no idea what he was doing. Usually, she's the one comforting him. Now the tables have turned.

Aliyah nodded. "But first. I'm sorry for making a scene back there. I probably made you very uncomfortable and it wasn't my intention. I just…I guess I let my emotions get the better of me."

That's rare for Jedi. Should I be concerned? Steele thought as he took a seat across from her. "It's fine. You should do that more often."

"Only away from the sight of the Council," Aliyah rubbed her eyes. "Anyways, thanks for being so understanding thus far."

"I learned from the best."

_***Sensitive content begins***_

That brightened Aliyah's expression a tiny bit. "You asked me what my life was before becoming a Jedi." She took a deep breath. "I used to be part of a powerful crime group. They're not as well-known as say, the Hutts or Black Sun, but they're just as dangerous, if not more. They'd commit crimes using infants and young children. Basically luring in victims under a false sense of security. Because no one would suspect a criminal if they had kids with them."

"...How old were you…?" Steele asked.

"Young enough to be accepted into the Jedi. Old enough to remember the things I've witnessed. Things ranging from torture, trafficking, and sometimes, murder." Aliyah's voice was barely above a whisper.

"You weren't involved in any of that, were you…?"

"No. I was put out in specific places for kind adults to find me or for kids my age to play with me. Eventually, one or more group members would come out and act as my guardian and one way or another, take those people in as victims. The victims were always placed in this special room for a few days. During those days, the entire place would echo with muffled screams and cries. Then it'd stop. Those victims were never seen again. And I was taken outside to repeat the process. For a while, I…I thought that's how everybody lived."

Steele lost his voice. He was absolutely horrified.

Aliyah clenched her jaw before continuing. "But the worst part is when they take me to other kid victims, I think they wanted me to make them stop crying. Those kids were nice, I actually liked some of them. They didn't deserve to suffer. And it dawned on me that the things this group does, were wrong. Everytime the kids were taken away, I'd get awful nightmares about them going through abominable situations. That was the first sign of me being Force-sensitive. And then came the unexplained levitation and moving of keycards, blindfolds, ropes, basically anything that's linked to victims suffering. I didn't want to feel guilty for doing nothing, but I still couldn't save them."

Swallowing hard, Steele spoke. "How did you end up leaving that group?"

"I was put out again to lure in nice people. This time, the 'nice people' was a Jedi Master. He noticed I was Force-sensitive and wanted to take me. But the members I was with thought they could make a huge profit off of him. So they took him back, he sensed something was wrong, there was a fight, and he won. Then he called the authorities and they discovered the rest of the child accomplices. Unfortunately, the head of the group managed to escape and has not been caught to this day. But the children were freed along with the victims who weren't taken away yet. And I was brought here to start a new life as a Jedi."

"Which leads to where you are now," Steele finished.

"Yes, but my struggles didn't end after leaving the crime group. Life as a youngling was strange. I was afraid of making friends, thinking they'd meet the same fate as all my other 'friends' from before. A lot of Masters were afraid that the horrors I've seen would pave a pathway to the Dark Side. But I didn't understand any of that Force shenanigans. I didn't care. I just wanted someone to teach me what's right from wrong. That's when Plo Koon came in." Aliyah smiled fondly. "I owe him so much."

"He taught you how life worked?"

"And more," Aliyah added. "Once I became his Padawan, I made a goal to myself to always help out those who are suffering in silence. Just like the victims whose lives I indirectly ruined. But then the war started. And I was forced to accept the reality that I can't save everyone. At first, I assumed it was because I couldn't think like a military soldier…like Wolffe, whose tactics and skills saved countless lives, even earning immediate respect from Plo. It made me admire him but also envy him."

"You were jealous of Wolffe?" Steele was incredulous.

"For a time, yes. He had the power to save those around him and I wanted that. But eventually, I realized the only reason I wanted that is because I didn't want to feel guilty, not because I wanted to save lives. It was that moment, where I forced myself to stop being selfish, and start being more altruistic. I took notes of battle strategies and results, I improved my camaraderie with the rest of the battalion, I strived to pass my trials. Which got my knighted and brought me to you. Seeing the abominable situation you and your men were going through…I wasn't going to do nothing anymore. Not when I finally have the power to save lives, and for the proper reasons too."

It all came full circle to Steele.

_***Sensitive content end***_

For a couple of minutes, he didn't know what to say. "Well…sigh, well."

"That bad, huh?"

"Extremely."

After a moment, Aliyah asked. "Are you disillusioned with me?"

"I'm amazed." Steele answered almost immediately. "You went through all that and survived, better yet, you never gave it a chance to takeover your life. You amaze me."

When Aliyah didn't respond, Steele added. "Just a few hours ago, you told me 'your origins don't define you'. You can't just make up something and apply that to everyone but yourself. It's not fair."

Aliyah looked down at the table for some time. Then she looked up and smiled. "I'm really glad to have met you."

_No. I'm the one who's glad to have met you._

That evening, Steele boarded the destroyer to Kamino with a strange feeling. He couldn't quite place it.

It wasn't until they entered lightspeed that he realized what this feeling was. He chuckled painfully at it.

"I give up. I give up."

_**So, what was your life before?: End** _


	30. Wrong place, wrong time (Interlude)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Important note at end of chapter. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think of this. I really need to know your thoughts on my note. So, even if you didn't comment before. Please do. Thank you.

**Wrong place, wrong time (Interlude)**

_**Be careful when dealing with drama, you don't want it to cause even more drama** _

Steele only had two reasons for coming to Coruscant: his general needed him for something or it was time for his and Wolffe's monthly catch-up dinner.

Last time, it was the former. This time, it's the latter. But he wasn't on his way to meet with Wolffe right now.

No, he was inside the Senate building, looking for Senator Amidala. Because he was somehow naive enough to be talked into delivering a couple of records to her by rookie guards.

Rookie guards.

He neared Senator Amidala's office and was surprised to not find much security there. Some talking was going on inside.

"Anakin, I'm really busy now. Can you come back at a later time?"

"But I might be sent on another mission by then."

Steele knew that was definitely General Skywalker's voice. But he decided not to think too much about it and just waited outside the door.

The voices grew louder and were accompanied by footsteps. It sounded like they were nearing the door.

"I just need a couple of hours, Ani. Please, don't make this hard."

"Alright, I'll see you tonight."

The door opened. Just in time for Steele to see Jedi General Anakin Skywalker pull back from a kiss with Nabooian Senator Padme Amidala. They froze upon realizing they have a visitor.

Steele felt his goggles slide down his nose. The records he was holding fell to the ground with a thud.

Anakin and Padme stood apart from each other. All three of them were rigid with silence.

"Ahem. These are for the Senator," Steele picked up the records and handed them to Padme.

She graciously but awkwardly accepted them. "Um, thank you."

"No problem, milady."

And with that, he turned around and bolted out of the area. Padme pulled Anakin by the arm.

"He saw us! He definitely saw us!"

"Don't worry," Anakin tried to assure her. "I—I'll fix this!"

"Please don't cause more trouble than there already is."

"I'm sure it'll be fine. He's Aliyah's commander, so I don't think he's the type to tell."

Anakin ran in the direction Steele went. Hoping to clarify things with him.

* * *

_That's it! I'm never coming to the Senate again! There's waaaay too much drama happening here!_

Steele thought as he speed-walked down the halls. He tried to erase the kiss he just witnessed. While at the same time, he debated whether or not he should report that.

Either way, it's not going to get him out of this mess. And he wants out. Badly.

"Commander! Commander!"

Anakin was behind him, running at top speed. But instead of stopping, Steele began to run too. To Anakin's shock.

A chase ensued between the two.

"Hey! Hey!" Anakin shouted.

But Steele didn't stop. He increased his speed from a regular jog to a full-out retreat-from-the-clankers sprint.

He made constant detours to avoid running into a crowded area. The last thing he wanted for others to assume he committed something criminal. Anakin felt the same.

Steele got to an elevator just as its doors closed. He rapidly spammed the down button.

"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!"

Anakin appeared at the end of the hall. Seeing that the next elevator won't get here before the general does, Steele opted out for the emergency stairwell.

"Commander!" Anakin shouted as Steele steered towards the stairs.

He dashed after the clone. The stairwell echoed loudly with their frenzied steps and leaps. Combined with their voices.

"Can you please just listen to me?" Anakin asked as he leapt down another flight.

"I swear I didn't see anything, sir!" Steele yelled back.

"Then why are you running?"

"Because I don't think you believe me!"

"Well, I…" Anakin couldn't think of something to say.

The uncertainty in Anakin's voice was enough for Steele to keep running.

They eventually got the bottom of the stairwell and entered the main floor of the building. But Steele didn't give up. He is not going to be part of this drama. No, he WILL not be part of this!

Anakin, on the other hand, was adamant in getting Steele to stop. Without getting help from bystanders, because he couldn't risk more people knowing about him and Padme.

The chase continued until they reached outside the Senate. Anakin saw that he had to make an effort to stop Steele before he lost him in the streets of Coruscant.

"Commander, please! Give me a chance to explain, that's all I ask!" Anakin begged.

"There's no need to explain, sir! Just leave me out of this!"

"I won't bother you again after!" Anakin offered. "Just let me talk to you and I won't bother you again, I swear!"

Steele slowed down to a halt. He turned around to face Anakin. " _Sigh_. Fine, General Skywalker. I'll listen."

* * *

Anakin took Steele to Padme's apartment. No one will hear them there. Or at least he hoped so.

"Alright," Anakin sets down some food and drinks at the table. "Let's talk."

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't report this to the Council right now," Steele began.

Before Anakin could answer, Steele spoke again. "Better yet, give me one good reason I shouldn't report this to the 501st."

"Well." Anakin's nervousness seems to have lifted. "Um…in that case—"

"—Wait, what? They already know about this?"

"No, they don't! They don't!" Anakin quickly said. But then he changed his answer. "Well, they might or might not have an idea, but…well, it's complicated."

"So they have a suspicion about you and Senator Amidala?"

"I wouldn't say 'they'."

"So just a few handfuls? Or just your most trusted officers?" Steele asked.

Anakin nodded.

"But nobody else knows about you two?"

Anakin shook his head.

Steele found that hard to believe. "Then how did I manage to so easily see what I saw today?"

"What happened today was purely coincidental," Anakin quickly answered. "We were letting our guard down, so we didn't know you were right outside—"

"—So it's true then?" Steele interrupted. "You and Senator Amidala really are in a relationship?"

Anakin was about to grab the liquor. But then decided to go for the juice instead. He took a long swig before answering.

"Yes. Actually, it's worse than that." Anakin saw no point hiding it now. Might as well come clean. "We're married."

_Married…married…_

Those words echoed in Steele's head. "It goes against your Code."

"I know that."

"Senator Amidala knew the risks full-well."

"Yes, she did."

"This will ruin both your reputations if it's made public."

Anakin sighed loudly. "We both know that."

"Ok, _you_ both know that. But what about me? What kind of trouble would I get in if others find out I'm covering for you two?" Steele turned serious. "Because any trouble I get in will be reflected onto my legion and my general. And that's the last thing I want."

"There won't be any trouble," Anakin replied with utmost confidence. "If it comes to that, I'll take full responsibility, I promise."

"I don't know, sir…"

"Please, Steele." Anakin pleaded. "Please."

Steele felt like he's being tugged in opposite directions to the point of tearing in two. "This is a lot to think about…have…have you been hiding this from the Jedi for a long time?"

"I have. It hasn't been easy for either of us, but it's worth it."

"Really?"

Anakin nodded earnestly. "Yes, really."

Steele found that to be very admirable. But at the same time, foolish. All this trouble, just for some time spent with the one he loves.

"General, forgive me for being forward, but…what'll happen if the Jedi finds out about you and the Senator?"

Now that definitely hit Anakin in a painful spot. He's been keeping that possibility in the deepest pits of his mind, but now Steele has brought it to the surface again.

"Gee, I don't know. Expulsion is a definite yes. But I think in my case, things may be more severe. Or lenient. Depends on the last memory the Council has of me."

"Is expulsion necessarily a bad thing?"

Anakin was silent. He always did think expulsion from the Jedi Order is bad. But now that he thinks about it again, it doesn't seem all that bad. There were definitely some perks to living life as a non-Jedi.

"I think the worst thing about expulsion is the fact that it's not a private matter. For me especially." Anakin sat back and crossed his arms. "If I choose to leave, or get expelled, I won't be able to live in peace and quiet."

"I see." Steele thought about Anakin's words. "What about after the war?"

"What?"

"The Jedi have become quite well-known since the war began—as individuals—not just as a whole. You especially. So I agree, if you leave now, it'll be the topic of the galaxy. But what about after the war? When things calmed down a bit, and there's a new topic of interest."

Anakin looked at him with a serious expression. "First, we have to win the war."

"I know. Sorry."

"No, don't be sorry." Anakin quickly explained himself. "I'm the one who should be sorry for dragging you into this mess. Besides, you make a good point. But I'm not sure if that scenario will play out as good as it sounds."

"So, you two are just going to hide your relationship forever?"

"Not 'forever' per se. But definitely for now, and maybe for some time…after the war."

That answer made Steele feel a little down. "Ok."

"Did I say something wrong?" Anakin inquired.

It was strange. He called Steele here to try and clarify his relationship with Padme. And to hopefully ensure his silence. So why were they talking about potential solutions together?

"Not really," Steele answered.

"'Not really' isn't a 'no'."

"Fine. I guess I just kinda feel bad for you, sir."

That surprised Anakin. "But…why?"

"Because all you want is happiness. But there's no easy way to it. Stay with the Jedi, leave the Jedi, do it now, do it after the war, there's disadvantages to every choice. Even if you make me keep this a secret for you, it won't solve your predicament. Only delay the inevitable."

"Then I'll delay it," Anakin replied confidently. "Because for now, I'm happy enough with what I have."

Steele was quiet. After some time, he spoke again. "You…really love her that much, huh?"

"I'd do anything to keep her alive and happy." Anakin meant it. "Anything."

 _Now that's going far. Romantic, cheesy, but far_. Steele thought. "How did it happen? For you to love her like that?"

"Well. It's a long story…"

* * *

Steele completely lost track of time. Anakin had been going on and on about everything he loved about Padme.

Without giving away too much about how they met.

Yep, both of them had forgotten why they were here in the first place. And were now chatting away like old friends.

"I gave her my lightsaber once, you know?" Anakin recalled those memories from some time ago. "And the next thing that happened, she and some Senators were held hostage by bounty hunters. What a turn of events!"

"Maybe you shouldn't have given your lightsaber away," Steele chided.

"How was I supposed to know that bounty hunters were waiting for them?"

"I dunno. Can't you sense 'disturbances in the Force' or something?"

Anakin laughed. "I wish it's that convenient."

"What do you wish is convenient?"

The door to the apartment opened and in walked Senator Padme Amidala. Thankfully, she didn't have any guards or aides beside her.

"Padme!" Anakin greeted. "Welcome back!"

"Has everything been settled?" She walked up to the two.

Steele nodded. "Yes, milady. You don't need to worry, I won't tell anyone about you two."

"Really?" Anakin sat straight. He didn't recall successfully convincing Steele to keep quiet about this. "What'd I say to convince you so?"

"A lot of things, sir." Steele began listing the reasons that made him decide to keep quiet. "The punishment for revealing your marriage to the Jedi, the backlash from the public, the consequences for revealing now or later, and well, your overall devotion to each other. It's beautiful, really. I'm happy for you two. And I don't wanna ruin it."

Both Anakin and Padme were grateful to hear that. Padme put her hands together elegantly. "Thank you, commander. For being understanding."

"Yes, thank you," Anakin agreed as he stood up and went next to Padme. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I didn't think you'd really, well, um… _not_ report us."

Steele got up to leave. "Well, I guess in way…I understand what you feel."

…" _Careful now, General Krell. Killing out of hatred isn't the Jedi way."..._

…" _I make that promise to you, as your new general."..._

…" _What do you think you're doing to my commander?"..._

… _Aliyah brought a comforting hand to his shoulder. And pulled him a bit closer to her…_

…" _I value you more than just a commander."..._

… _His nickname showed up big and clear on the projector. 'My treasured one'. Everyone pointed and awed…_

… _Aliyah didn't say anything. She wrapped her arms tightly around him. Her cries became muffled against his shoulder…_

…" _I'm really glad to have met you."..._

Anakin and Padme looked in silence as Steele left the apartment. Anakin continued to wonder about what he was just told.

About Steele understanding what he felt.

* * *

The second Steele stepped out of the building of Padme's apartment, he got a call from Wolffe. "About time you answered. Forget our date?"

"What?" Steele checked the time. It was way past their agreed meeting time. "Kriffing hell…I'll be right there!"

It took a good 7 minutes for Steele to rush from Padme's building to Wolffe's location. And that was ignoring the heavy traffic on the way there.

He entered the diner, panting and sweaty. Wolffe waved him over to their table. "I've been sitting here, eating samples for 45 minutes!"

"Sorry," Steele huffed as he sat down. He quickly checked-off his usual from the menu. "I'm really sorry."

Wolffe eyed him curiously as he handed their menu selections to a waiter-bot. "What happened to you? Did you run into trouble or something?"

"I was at the Senate," Steele answered tiredly.

"Ohhhh," Wolffe nodded in understanding. "Let me guess, you walked in on some plot behind some politician's back."

"Worse."

"Worse!?"

Steele sighed. "Forget it. From now on, I'm never going to that dreadful building again. Unless it's a direct order."

Wolffe nodded in agreement. Before long, the waiter returned with their selections. And the two commanders began chatting about their experiences over the past month. That's what they were here for after all.

"Let me tell you, that being stuck in the rain for a week without shelter is a fate worse than death," Wolffe finished retelling his recent recon mission. "I thought I was for sure gonna grow fungus on my foot by the end of it."

Steele gagged and put his fork down. "Thanks, I just lost my appetite."

Wolffe raised a glass. "Your welcome. What about you? How's Dogma coming along?"

"Oh, he's phenomenal. An achiever through and through. Though, there was this squabble over his last report. But it was for a pretty stupid reason."

Wolffe nodded. Suddenly, he caught sight of someone familiar a few tables away. "Hey, is that General Kenobi?"

Steele turned his head around in Wolffe's direction. Surely the person he was looking at was the ever-famous Obi-Wan Kenobi. But what was he doing here? And who was that blonde woman he's sitting across from…?

 _Oh no._ Steele thought as a pang of recognition hit him.

"Hey, isn't that the Duchess of Mandalore?" Wolffe whispered to Steele. "What's she doing on Coruscant? And with General Kenobi?"

"She's in need of a Jedi's assistance," Steele quickly answered as he spun his head back. "Obviously."

"But why meet here of all places?" Wolffe asked.

"Doesn't matter. It's not our business."

Steele proceeded to pour himself an extra-large glass of water and began chugging it. Wolffe wondered what's up with him.

Maybe it had to do with their recent noticing of General Kenobi and the Mandalorian Duchess. So Wolffe decided to take them to a new topic.

"Anything new going on with General Korentayer?"

Steele slowly put his down his empty glass. "Why do you ask?"

"I dunno, just curious I guess. Besides, I um…" Wolffe chuckled. "...heard about that nickname she gave you."

Before Steele could say anything Wolffe quickly added, "Don't worry, I'm not gonna make any teasing comments. I just wanna know what's the story behind it. I mean c'mon, 'My treasured one'? You can't tell me that nothing's happened."

"You make it sound like I did something very illegal with her."

"Well. _Did_ you?"

"NO!" Steele whisper-shouted.

Wolffe laughed. "Calm down, I wasn't serious. But still, it's pretty obvious she values you a lot."

"So? General Plo Koon practically sees you and your Wolfpack as his own sons. Jedi valuing us isn't news."

"Yeah…for most of us. But in your case, well, let's just say Krell wasn't the best introduction to the Jedi for you. Compared to General Korentayer of course."

Steele was silent. What Wolffe just said stirred something deep inside him. It reminded him of that feeling he got that night when he boarded the destroyer off Coruscant, after learning of Aliyah's past.

"You're right," Steele replied. "But if it wasn't for Krell and his tyranny, she wouldn't have shone as bright as she did to me."

He remembered the first day they met in the Kamino training overview room. She looked so inexperienced and innocent.

Who knew she'd end up being his hero?

Wolffe leaned in closer. "So is it true then? She values you more than just a commander?"

After a long moment, Steele subtly nodded.

_I give up…_

He felt bad about fearing General Skywalker's situation with Senator Amidala earlier. And for suspecting a similar situation between General Kenobi and the Mandalorian Duchess.

What right did he have to judge them?

"Wolffe."

"Yeah?"

"I think…I think I'm starting to value her more…than just a general."

_**Wrong place, wrong time: End** _

_**End of Interlude. The Clone's Hero will be back for the Clone Force 99 arc.** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N. Hey, everyone, I'm going on a long hiatus until the next arc. The hiatus will be 1 month long (at the shortest) and 6 months long (at the longest). I'll try to make it 1 month long, but if I can't realistically write and release quality chapters by then, I afraid you won't see anything from me until December.
> 
> The reason for this is because I still have 2 months left of my summer semester. But once that ends, I'll be back in school full-time (Sept to Dec). It won't be until my next co-op workterm (Jan to Apr) that I'll be able to write consistently and stress-free again.
> 
> So I feel it's only fair to you guys that know my story's plan.
> 
> Clone Force 99 arc (Earliest: Aug. 11, 2020. Latest: Dec. 22, 2020 EST time) - The 304th and 104th work together to retrieve a Separatist datachip, which containes extremely sensitive information stolen from the Republic. The commando squad, Clone Force 99 aka 'the Bad Batch', are recruited to help. As they hunt down the datachip, they begin suspecting the Republic of harbouring secrets
> 
> Investigating Fives's Death arc (Should be released shortly after Clone Force 99 arc) - After learning of Fives's death and the events that led to it, Steele's suspicion of the Republic hiding something from them increases. He and some of his men launch an investigation to find out what Fives really died for
> 
> Final arc (Should be released shortly after Investigating Fives's Death arc) - The end of the war nears, along with the inevitable fate of the clones and the Jedi. Steele and his men struggle against all odds to make the inevitable, evitable
> 
> There you go. My overviews of each arc up to the very end. I hope this way, I can convince you to keep faith with this story and with me.
> 
> It wasn't an easy decision to go on a hiatus this long. I almost didn't go with it because I was afraid of losing readers. But in the end, I decided to put my life and education first, and to value my story in the long-run. This hiatus is the only way for this story to reach completion.
> 
> So please, I humbly ask you to not forget me or this story. And I will not forget you.
> 
> Also, feel free to contact me via pm or email. I'd love to answer questions you have or just chat in general!
> 
> And if I don't return by my latest release date, by all means, spam my inbox and ask where the new chapter is. XD
> 
> See you all in August or December! :)
> 
> \- MiraLake
> 
> (Assume if I don't come back on Aug. 11, then I'll be back on Dec. 22! Though I'll try to make Aug. 11 happen!)


	31. Stolen Info (Clone Force 99 pt1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my dear readers. I've returned. It's been a very hectic month-long hiatus for me, which is contradictory since it was supposed to be a chance for me to relax and recuperate. (More on endnotes)
> 
> I hope that some of you are still around. The last thing that I want is to lose your faith and interest. So it truly means a lot if you can give me a comment to let me know you're here. Thank you, and enjoy the chapter.

**Stolen Info (Clone Force 99 pt1)**

_**You got to play with the cards you're dealt with** _

"Get the medics!" Steele shouted at Wolffe.

Wolffe ran off to do just that while Steele rushed into the interrogation room. Their prisoner, a male Trandoshan, was painfully writhing on the floor.

"Hey! Hey!" Steele knelt next to the Trandoshan and tried to force out whatever it was he swallowed.

But it was fruitless.

"In here!" Wolffe guided the medics into the room.

They immediately went up to the Trandoshan whose condition had worsened. They opened up their kits and got started on reviving him.

"We'll take over from here, sir! Don't worry!" One of the medics assured the two commanders.

Steele took another look at the now unconscious Trandoshan before leaving.

~ O O O ~

Night has fallen. Steele was in the meeting room building with Wolffe, Plo and Aliyah. They had to discuss today's event.

Wolffe started the talk. "He didn't make it."

He was talking about their Trandoshan prisoner. Everyone shook their heads in distraught while Wolffe kept speaking.

"He was our only lead, and he's dead."

"How did he kill himself?" Plo asked.

"Suicide pill," Steele answered.

"We failed to check him properly," Wolffe quickly apologized. "I'm sorry, sir."

Plo rubbed his forehead. "First of all, I don't blame you for what happened. Instead of lingering on the events of today, we should take it as a stepping stone. Our prisoner was willing to kill himself to avoid interrogation. That says a lot about the contents of the Separatists' datachip."

"But is sensitive Republic information really worth killing yourself for?" Aliyah questioned.

"It might be if it's something that could change the tide of this war," Steele pointed out.

"But if that's true. Then the Republic should be more willing to share what they know with us!" Wolffe crossed his arms. "Instead of making us go on a wild goose chase."

Everyone agreed with him. Plo especially.

"I hear you. But there's only so much we can pry before it starts resembling treason. For now, let's make do with our circumstances."

Wolffe looked like he was closing on stressville. "We've been at this for a week and a half. And so far, we have nothing, except for the Trandoshan who just killed himself today."

Steele nodded bitterly. Wolffe had just voiced all of his building frustrations over the past week.

Sensing the growing irritation in their commanders, Plo and Aliyah decided to cut their meeting short.

"We'll contact the Council again," Plo said. "You two take a rest, alright? Get some early sleep tonight."

"Thank you, general." Wolffe meant it.

The two commanders walked towards the exit. Aliyah went up to Steele as soon as they stepped outside.

"Here." She handed him a cold bottle of water. "To cool your head."

"Thanks."

~ O O O ~

The base the two clone divisions had up was clean and organized. It wasn't as large as one would expect but that's because this combination was only made of a handful of their forces.

Smaller than two battalions put together but larger than three companies.

Steele looked around as he walked across the compound.

A couple of medics were cleaning up the interrogation room. Some nightshift guards were on duty. And in the distance, he could see Dogma enter a building with Egad and Comet. They were going to examine the Trandoshan's belongings for any potential leads. Everyone else was asleep.

Steele kept walking until he reached outside the base. Wolffe was already there, sitting on a crate.

"What a great night," Steele muttered.

"It's a shame. Because this really _is_ a great night." Wolffe turned around. "Hey, can I have some water?"

"Sure." Steele splashed Wolffe in the face.

"I meant for drinking!" Wolffe sputtered.

"General Korentayer said this is for 'cooling your head'," Steele replied. "Besides, you looked like you needed it."

Wolffe wiped his eyes. Once he could see properly again, he felt a lot better. "I guess I did. Losing our first and only lead since the start of this hunt really sucks."

"Yeah, especially since it was so preventable."

"Doesn't make the generals look good. But still, this whole thing is weird. Couple of rogue Separatists stole some top-notch Republic secret and stored it via datachip. Now, the Republic's crying for it back but they refuse to give out anything that's potentially useful. It's like—being told to go from Coruscant to Tatooine without a nav-computer! _Sigh._ If we weren't so conveniently in the same system as these thieves, we wouldn't be in this mess."

"True, true. I completely agree." Steele pulled up a crate next to Wolffe. "Besides, I'm really not cut out for this. Covert operation with a huge infantry tagging along? It's just contradictory!"

"Eh, what can we do about it? The Republic wants what it wants. And they want these gutsy thieves annihilated."

"But at this rate, I doubt we'd be able to do that," Steele countered. "I dunno about you, but I'd like more time to think, examine, and evaluate our known bits of info. But I can't do that because to get that info, we need to go out in the field. And that means days of planning, fighting, and searching. Days we could be using to figure out where these thieves are holding out."

Suddenly Wolffe sprang up. He looked like a Jedi who just had a Force vision. "That's it! Steele, you're a genius!"

"I am?"

"Yeah. You said going out into the field takes away time for examination and analysis. So, why don't we call in some folks to do that for us instead?"

Now Steele is beginning to understand. "Are you suggesting calling in a commando squad?"

"Yes," Wolffe confirmed. " _And_ , I already have one in mind, but I'll need to run it by the generals first."

"Who are they?"

"They're a squad of specially mutated clones, I've heard from Cody that they're efficient, reliable, and most importantly have a near-perfect success rate, exactly what we need! Their official name is Clone Force 99 but they call themselves 'the Bad Batch'."

~ O O O ~

The next day, Wolffe presented his idea to Plo and Aliyah. They were open to it. But they needed to make sure the Council and the Chancellor were open to it too. So another meeting was held.

And turns out, Chancellor Palpatine wasn't too keen on this idea.

"Generals, there's a reason why I chose not to send commando units after the rogue Separatists," the hologram of Palpatine patiently explained. "Yes, it's partially because your forces were already close to the system they're currently hiding at. But it's also because this stolen info is extremely sensitive. And commandos can be known to operate quite…freely."

Plo politely disagreed. "Chancellor, with all due respect. You haven't been very fair to us since assigning this task. I understand the need for confidentiality and I respect that. But this utter lack of transparency has been severely hindering our progress."

Several holograms of the Council Masters hesitantly agreed. Including Yoda.

"Apologies, on our part," Yoda spoke. "Difficult, this must be, for all of you."

"Difficult or not, we got to play with the cards you dealt us with," Aliyah replied. "And right now, our best bet of getting the datachip back is by recruiting Clone Force 99."

"Provided that they'll understand the sensitivity of the information contained inside," Mace Windu reminded.

"I'm sure they'll operate more under control since they'll be reporting to us on-site, instead of remotely," Plo argued.

After a moment of silent deliberation, Palpatine let in. "Alright, Masters Jedi. I authorize you to recruit this commando squad you speak of. Find the datachip and bring it back to us."

~ O O O ~

Dogma threw away another old trinket from the Trandoshan's belongings. "Ugh. Does this guy collect garbage for souvenirs?"

"Well, least you're finding something," Comet muttered at the table across from Dogma.

"I'd feel better if these somethings show us where the datachip is located!"

"But these somethings _do_ show us he was a hardcore Cantina band fanboy," Egad pointed out. "Half of those trinkets you dug out were autographs, Dogma. Heh, they were so faded, it took me a good 2 hours to polish each and every one of them. Thought they could've been coordinates to a location or something."

All three clones sighed in disappointment. They didn't get a wink of sleep last night. They were so sure they could find something useful after the loss of their Trandoshan prisoner. Comet especially, since he was the one who captured and brought him in.

But that was just wishful thinking. The clones continued to work in peace and quiet until Egad suddenly groaned.

"Oh, great."

"What?" Dogma asked. He looked up through the opened door, in time to see Compass dash inside.

"Guess what!" Compass slammed his hands down on Egad's table.

"Get your evidence-destroying hands off my table!" Egad howled.

Compass shrivelled back. "Ok. Fine, sheesh. Dogma! Guess wha—"

"—Pay him no attention," Egad cut in. "Until he learns what it means to not disturb others at work."

Dogma smiled and gave Compass an apologetic shrug. Compass didn't know what to say to that.

"Hey, I'm all ears," Comet offered from his table. "Talk to me."

"Thank you, my friend," Compass went over to Comet's table. "How is it that you're more of a brother to me than the ones in my own division?"

Egad and Dogma looked at Compass with blank faces.

"Honestly, if everyone is like you in the 104th, I think I'll transfer over! You hear me, you two?" Compass looked over at Egad and Dogma. "From now on, Commander Wolffe's my officer!"

Once again, Egad and Dogma looked at him with blank faces. Though it was obvious to Compass that Dogma was trying not to guffaw.

Comet also smiled a tiny bit. He felt his previous frustrations with the lack of good evidence disappear. "Alright, Compass. Back on topic, what were you going to say?"

"Right!" Compass returned on track. "So, I heard from Sinker, who heard from Kal, who heard from the commanders, who discussed it with the generals, that we're recruiting a commando squad to come help us!"

Everyone was shocked. They didn't hear anything about this. Was it a recent decision? Or have they just been so hard at work that they completely tuned everything else out?

Compass looked at each of the three clones. "Well? What do you think?"

"I think," Dogma began, "I'd like to see them once they arrive."

"Oh, you will. I heard they might be arriving today," Compass revealed.

~ O O O ~

It was mid-morning to noon when the ship carrying Clone Force 99 flew within sight. The entire base was curious to see what their special reinforcements would be like. They sparsely gathered behind the landing zone where they'll be arriving. Steele and Wolffe were already there.

"You never worked with them before, right?" Steele asked.

Wolffe shook his head. "No."

"So we're just gonna go by the word of Cody?"

"I trust him. What about you?"

Before Steele could say anything, the ship landed in front of them. And the door opened, revealing the soldiers of Clone Force 99. Everyone behind the two commanders was shocked.

"They don't seem like regular clones," Dogma remarked.

"Mutations. Probably desirable mutations," Kal suggested. "Makes sense, considering their squad name."

Compass rolled his eyes. "Can you please stop being smart for 5 minutes?"

" _Captain_ , can you please stop being smart for 5 minutes?" Kal corrected.

The first clone who stepped out of the ship was the closest one to resembling an average-bred clone. He made his way towards the commanders.

"Sergeant Hunter, head of Clone Force 99, sirs."

"Good to finally meet you, sergeant," Wolffe returned the greeting. "I'm Wolffe, commander of the 104th Battalion and direct-report to General Plo. This is Steele."

"I command the 304th Legion, under the jurisdiction of General Korentayer," Steele explained.

Hunter nodded in response. Behind him, his three other squadmates stepped out of the ship. Each one had something physically unique about them.

Hunter turned to the side. "Allow me to introduce everyone, commanders."

The first clone Hunter walked up to was one who wore a large set of goggles and had a portable computer attached to his front. "This is Tech, our information specialist. Any problem you need solving, he'll do it in a couple of seconds."

"Considering that the problem is within the realm of solvability," Tech added.

"Well, let's hope our current mission is, then," Steele puts in.

Hunter goes up to the next clone. A giant who easily towered over them. "This is Wrecker. He can handle just about any obstacle you throw at him. Best analogy: if Tech is our brain, Wrecker is our muscle."

Wrecker eagerly agreed. "I'm ready to blow up the enemy base, sir!"

"Still in the process of searching for the enemy base. But, the enthusiasm's appreciated."

Wrecker seemed to be a little upset but Hunter patted him back to his senses. He made his way to the last clone. A quiet sullen one who held his sniper rifle like it's his treasure.

"And this one's Crosshair. Tell him to shoot something within 10 kliks and he'll do it without missing every single time. Sharp shooter but not a great talker unfortunately."

"Is there a particular reason for that?" Steele asked upon seeing Crosshair staring at him intensely. "Besides intimidation?"

"Maybe. You'll just have to find out yourself, sir," Hunter answered. "Anyways, that's enough for introductions. What are we here for?"

Wolffe gestured for them to follow him. "We'll show you in the briefing room."

~ O O O ~

In the briefing room, the Bad Batch met Plo and Aliyah. They apologized for not greeting them on arrival due to a last-minute Council meeting.

But they didn't seem to mind much. "It's alright, generals," Hunter said. "All that matters is we're here and we're gonna do our jobs."

"Great. Well, here's the overview of the mission," Wolffe turned on the holotable.

Hunter and the entire squad began reading the text and diagrams. Which didn't take long because there wasn't much to read.

Hunter read the entire thing again to see if there were any 'continued on the next page' or 'please see page X for more details', but there weren't. He looked at Wolffe in confusion.

"Is this seriously it?"

"Yes, that's it," Wolffe answered.

"What?!" Wrecker exclaimed. "I was hoping for a short read but I wasn't hoping for anything _this_ short!"

"Commander, this is extremely difficult to work with," Tech confessed. "We don't even have the names of these Separatists. Which eliminates us of the opportunity for background checks."

"Yeah, we already know," Steele said. "But we can't get any more info on this stuff, we really can't."

"What progress have you made so far?" Hunter demanded.

The room fell silent.

Plo spoke first. "We captured someone who was suspected to be in league with them. But he killed himself before we got the chance to interrogate."

"So in other words, you made no progress at all," Hunter stated bluntly.

"Not yet. But we're about to," Wolffe stepped in to defend his general. "Now that you lot are here, we can start closely examining what little information we do have. And if we find anything potentially be useful, you will be sent out to look more into it."

"Essentially, we're gonna be your errand boys," Hunter summarized.

"Huh, what do you know?" Crosshair unexpectedly joined the conversation. "We're gonna be treated like regs for this job."

"I dunno what you mean by 'regs'. But look at me when I'm talking to you!" Steele snapped his fingers. "The Chancellor didn't want you guys here. The Council didn't want you guys here. You're here nonetheless. So is it too much to ask for a little cooperation?"

"'Regs' stands for regular clones," Hunter explained. "And we appreciate you arguing for our participation but if you want us to stay, you'll have to accept the fact we do things a certain way."

"We didn't call you in to investigate on your own," Wolffe reminded.

Crosshair huffed. "Seems awfully suspicious. You're not hiding anything from us, are you, commanders?"

"Excuse me?" Wolffe was in disbelief.

Crosshair ignored him and turned to Plo and Aliyah. "What about you, generals? I trust you're transparent with us?"

"Watch yourself," Steele warned.

"Don't try and pin the fault on any of us." Wolffe put his hand down. "We're all in the dark here."

"You're telling me, in all honesty, that none of you have anything more to show us?" Hunter asked—borderline interrogated—the four leading figures.

A dispute erupted between the two parties. Outside, several clones gathered to hear what's going on in there.

Aliyah put an end to the spat. "Alright, alright, that's enough! Please, we need to work together."

"Exactly," Plo stepped towards the Bad Batch. "I understand your suspicions towards the uninformative overview, but trust me when I say: 'we're not hiding anything from you.'"

After a long while, Hunter let up. "Fine, sorry for the accusations. We just prefer knowing exactly what we signed up for. But I guess we'll have to make do."

The Bad Batch left the briefing room, leaving the two commanders alone with their respective generals. They sighed in frustration.

Plo went up to Wolffe. "Take a breath, Wolffe. I understand your discontent, but this is only the first day."

"They've got some nerve to accuse us of being dishonest!" Wolffe pinched his forehead.

"Well, Cody did say they're a bit blunt," Plo reminded.

"Yes. But this is something else."

"I'm sure they have their reasons," Aliyah said. "Besides, questioning orders isn't necessarily a bad thing."

After a long time, Steele lets out a sigh of submission. "Well, I'm willing to put aside differences for work's sake. But I sure as hell ain't gonna risk my life for one of them."

_**Next time on The Clone's Hero, tensions rise between the Bad Batch and the two battalions as they try to work together to find the Separatist thieves…** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N. For the past month, I've been swamped with assignments, labs, and culminating projects one after the other. My hiatus began with me opening my closet of fallen behind schoolwork, only for it to fall all down on me. And while I'm trying to dig myself out, I get hit with an age-old drama between two of my mutual friends who had some bad blood between them. That led to me confiding in another friend whom I thought I could trust with my feelings. I truly thought I could trust him...guess I've been watching too many movies.
> 
> All of the stress got to me and began taking a toll on my health, or at least I thought it was stress. Two days ago, I went to my local hospital to get tested for COVID-19. I'm still waiting for my results.
> 
> Sorry for dumping all that, I just feel like it's better to be transparent with all of you. Anyways, please leave kudos and a comment(s) if you can.
> 
> See you all next time.
> 
> \- MiraLake


	32. Rising tensions (Clone Force 99 pt2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N. My test results came back. I'm negative. So all's good for now. One less problem to worry about.
> 
> Thank you for the wonderful comments. You are all such amazing, supportive people. I don't deserve you :')
> 
> I seriously teared up from the responses I received last chapter. After everything I went through during my hiatus, it's such a breath of fresh air to hear from you all again. Writing truly is my escape right now. I hope you'll continue to stay with me and this story as it unfolds.
> 
> See you all next time! :)
> 
> \- MiraLake

**Rising tensions (Clone Force 99 pt2)**

_**It's not easy working with a team of people who have different priorities** _

The second the Bad Batch walked out of the meeting room, a sea of intense stares greeted them. All from clones who gathered around to hear the argument.

Ignoring them, Hunter and the rest of the squad made their way to their ship. They needed to unload more belongings if they were to call this base 'home' for the next couple of days.

After they finished unpacking into their designated barracks, they sat down inside and talked. Crosshair, surprisingly, initiated the conversation.

"So. What are your thoughts on these regs?"

"What are my thoughts on them?" Hunter repeated. He thought for a few seconds. "They're tired, they've been stuck here with no progress whatsoever for I dunno how long."

"Well, maybe they'll start making progress if they start pushing their generals for more information," Crosshair suggested.

"Um, I think you might be unaware of some aspects of their history," Tech slowly brought up.

"The only part of their history I care about, is their experience in fishy operations, like this one."

None of the batch disagreed with Crosshair, who kept talking to them. "I refuse to believe that they weren't as skeptical as we were when they first read the overview. I mean, the lack of decent details on that thing is kriffing sketchy."

"Swear," Wrecker warned.

"Shut up, we're not playing that game anymore."

"But we are. Remember? You lost last time and this is your demand for a rematch."

"Whatever." Crosshair took his attention off Wrecker and curtly turned to Hunter. "So, Sarge. Why did we come to a lost cause?"

Hunter leaned against the wall of their barracks building. He remained quiet for a moment, then spoke. "Maybe, because I'd like to see what's inside that datachip the Separatists are housing."

The batch was shocked. None of them expected their leader to say something so borderline treasonous.

"Or maybe it's something else." Hunter shrugged. "Anyways, it doesn't matter. We're here. And we're gonna do our jobs. One way or the other."

~ O O O ~

Word of the first meeting argument spread across base during the night. And needless to say, the clones didn't take it too well.

The next morning, Sinker caught sight of the squad while taking a break with some of his comrades. He didn't miss the chance to confront them.

"Hey. Do you always question your superiors like that?"

The batch stopped in their tracks. They turned to Sinker and his company.

"Gee, I dunno. Does it look like we do?" Hunter retorted.

"Yes," Dogma dryly replied.

He had pulled another all-nighter, rummaging through the Trandoshan's belongings and is barely awake right now. But he wasn't about to miss squaring up to the clones who disrespected his leaders.

"Well, we have our reasons," Hunter defended. "Just like you have yours for always accepting and backing up your generals."

"Well, excuse us for defending the Jedi who constantly goes out of his way to keep us alive," Boost said sarcastically.

"Ditto on that." Vito crossed his arms.

"But you guys have to admit, it's not unreasonable for us to question them." Tech stepped towards the clones. "Think about it. They're the ones who make all the Council meetings and they're the ones who relay information from those meetings to the rest of you. Now, we're not trying to point fingers here but there is a possibility they aren't telling you everything."

The clones did listen to Tech, but remained unconvinced. Kal answered first.

"Look, the generals are trying to make best out of an unfair situation. Cut them some slack, will ya? They don't have any reason to hide anything from us."

"Yeah? How do you know?" Wrecker challenged.

"Well for one, we've known them since the start of the war. And you've only known them for…" Kal checked the time and performed some quick mental calculations. "...19 and a half hours. Do the math yourself, big guy."

As soon Wrecker began attempting the calculations, Hunter told him to stop. "More exposure to your leaders doesn't mean they're trustworthy. It just means that they more influence you."

"So what are you saying? That we're blindly loyal to them?" Dogma questioned.

"No." Crosshair said coldly. "More like stupidly loyal."

"You wanna say that to my face?" A sharp voice joined the fight.

The clones turned their heads to see Compass walking towards them, looking visibly triggered. Nobody can say that kinda stuff to Dogma (who's been a victim of blind loyalty before) while he's around!

"You, sniper." Compass curled his finger at Crosshair. "You wanna try saying that again?"

Crosshair scoffed. "Big talk for a reg."

"'Reg?' You should've stopped at 'stupidly loyal.'" Compass began cracking his knuckles. "Now, I've been stuck here for a week and a half, with nothing to do, and nowhere to go. And I think I just found my cure to boredom."

Crosshair handed his rifle to Wrecker. "Hold my rifle."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Kal came between the two and pushed Compass away. "How 'bout we keep things on the verbal level?"

"I actually agree with that," Hunter said as he pulled Crosshair back.

"Oh, so now you agree with something!" Compass shouted above Kal's shoulder.

Kal urged Compass to leave before turning around to face Hunter. The leader of the batch was starting to look fatigued with this fight.

"Look, we're just here to find the datachip, same as the rest of you!" Hunter insisted.

"We know that," Kal spoke as civilly as he possibly could. "But there are other factors at play here that we don't fully understand. So we need to be careful, if we don't wanna get on the Republic's bad side."

"But if you fail this mission, you WILL get on the Republic's bad side!" Hunter reasoned.

The clones were quiet.

Hunter looked at them. "So what'll it be? Either you start demanding for more information and get on their bad side, or fail to retrieve the datachip and get on their bad side. If I were you, I'd go with the first option."

" _If_ we go with the first option," Boost began, "we risk getting the generals and _all of us_ , labelled as traitors to the Republic."

Crosshair huffed in satisfaction. "See? What'd I tell you? Stupidly loyal."

Everyone continued to quarrel.

~ O O O ~

Inside another building, Steele and Wolffe were evaluating their known information with Comet and Egad. Now that the Bad Batch were here, they don't need to bother with organizing and sending out teams to hunt down potential leads.

Dogma was supposed to be in this meeting, but when Comet saw the result of him pulling last night's all-nighter…he made him skip out to rest.

"The Separatists obtained the information somewhere in this system before escaping to and disappearing in our location," Steele pointed at a holomap.

Egad nodded. "That's what the overview implies. And our deceased Trandoshan prisoner pretty much confirms they're on this planet."

"Or that at least their underlings are," Wolffe corrected. He looked at the map. "Hmm. The distance from their escape point to here isn't far. Looks like whatever craft they're flying in isn't built for long-distance hyperspace travel."

"But they're Separatists," Comet said.

"They're _rogue_ Separatists." Wolffe emphasized on the word 'rogue'. "Thankfully, the higher-ups didn't leave that detail out. So we can assume they're not buddy-buddy with Count Dooku anymore."

Comet is starting to understand more on the nature of these thieves. "Ah, that explains why they're so good at hiding. They don't have the power to withstand a large-scale attack from the Republic."

"Or from Count Dooku," Egad pointed out. "Like Commander Wolffe said, they're rogues. So I'd think they're on the run from him as well."

Steele agreed. "But because they're carrying Republic info, the Republic wants us to reach them first, before Dooku does."

Taking out a datapad, Steele summarized their findings thus far. "Alright, we're doing pretty ok. Call in the generals soon, we'll update them on this." He smiled a bit. "Looks like having Clone Force 99 here is making a difference after all."

Comet and Egad were tentative in agreeing with Steele. Egad grumbled, "Still can't believe they accused you all of being dishonest."

Steele didn't need to hear this again. "It's just the way they are. As long as they don't jeopardize anything, let's try and be friendly, alright?"

Neither Comet nor Egad said anything. So Wolffe attempted to reason with them.

"Look, they aren't wrong in suspecting that something's being concealed. But they are wrong to accuse the generals. If anyone, it's the top layer of the Senate that's hiding something from us. But it's not our job to look into it."

~ O O O ~

Outside, the quarrel between the two battalions and the commandos didn't stop. At this point, Dogma's drowsiness had disappeared entirely. Replaced by irritation.

"This datachip contains _very sensitive_ Republic information!" He stressed.

"So why isn't the Republic pulling out all the stops to get it back?" Hunter demanded.

"He just said it's _sensitive_!" Sinker smacked his palm with the edge of his hand. "Does the word 'sensitive' mean something else in your dictionary?"

Tech responded to Sinker before any of his more hot-headed squadmates could. "If it's so sensitive, I doubt the Separatists would leave behind any obvious trails."

"Which is why it's so hard looking for them!" Dogma shouted, his eyes tearing up due to lack of sleep.

"How did you find your Trandoshan prisoner then?" Tech asked curiously.

"We got lucky and stumbled upon him at his one-man camp," Dogma answered with a bit more patience this time.

Tech could see that Dogma was more willing to cooperate with him than the others. So he began to pelt him questions, one after the other. Interrogation-style.

"He had no communication with the rest of his group?"

"Nope."

"Not a single commlink, transceiver, or holopad?"

"Just a smashed commlink, nothing else."

"How'd you know he was in league with the thieves then?"

"Fought back, tried to escape and resisted arrest, refused to answer clearly when we asked him anything about the Separatists or the datachip. And, he committed suicide to avoid interrogation."

"I see." Tech paused, thinking Dogma's answers over carefully. "And you haven't found a single useful clue on him?"

"No. He doesn't carry anything digital other than miscellaneous stuff."

"Nothing digital? Why's that?"

"Well because all digital items are…"

Suddenly, Dogma's blood-shot eyes widened with realization. He sped out of the area and towards the building that held the Trandoshan's belongings. Kal and Sinker dashed after him, eager to know what he's up to.

Tech turned to the rest of the batch. A smug look on his face. "See? A little patience and politeness goes a long way."

~ O O O ~

Dogma barged into the evidence building. He took out the crates that held the Trandoshan's belongings and evenly dumped them onto several tables. Sinker and Kal appeared behind him.

"What'd you discover?" Sinker asked as Dogma rummaged through the items.

"The Trandoshan didn't carry anything digital because those devices are easily traceable!" Dogma explained as he cleared another table. "So anything important he'd be carrying would be on something disposable, like paper, flimsi, or…or…"

"...a durasheet?" Sinker suggested.

"Yeah! Help me look!"

Sinker and Kal immediately took over one of the other tables, and started getting their hands messy. Dogma told them to keep their eyes peeled for anything small or blended in well with the other items.

After five frantic minutes of sweeping over items, Dogma found a tiny folded sheet amongst the mess. It was a severely faded crinkled durasheet. And on it were a scribble of characters that mildly resembled coordinates.

"Get me a datapad!" Dogma screeched.

"Here, take mine." Kal handed over his own datapad.

Dogma immediately took it and typed madly away on it. His fingers trembled as he rushed to copy down the coordinates on the durasheet before it completely faded.

"Got it! Thank you!"

Dogma ran out of the building and towards the meeting room where his commanders should be. He had to tell them about this.

~ O O O ~

In the meeting room, the clones were joined by Plo and Aliyah. They were amidst presenting the discoveries they had just made.

"These thieves may have severed their ties with the CIS, but they're far from neutral. Best way to describe it, they're a new enemy, trying to fight the Republic their own way," Steele finished explaining to the Jedi.

"I see." Plo stroked his chin. "They're doing a good job so far, if I dare say. I can't say I've seen the Chancellor show any signs of distress, until recently."

"We also know that they're definitely on this planet." Wolffe pulled up a map of the system they were currently in. "If not, then they're on the next three closest ones. They can't escape far, not with their current transport."

"The lack of quality equipment on the Trandoshan's proof of that," Egad further supported.

"Did you find anything else on the Trandoshan?" Plo asked.

"Yes," Comet quickly answered. "I found out earlier this morning that he's been keeping tabs on us. He's got info on our location, our numbers, and our supplies. But I'm not sure if he's relayed any of that to his allies."

"Because of the smashed commlink?"

"Precisely."

Aliyah nodded slowly, taking in everything that's just been poured on her. "This is good stuff so far. Well done, everyone."

The clones felt a light sense of content. Ever since they started this questionable mission they've felt nothing but frustration. So any commendation for their work is welcome.

Though, Steele only felt partial to that. What mattered to him was that his general's finally feeling something other than disappointment. They've had too many dead ends with this mission, they seriously needed a turnaround.

"All we need now, is a location," Steele concluded.

As if the universe had timed everything perfectly, Dogma in barged through the door. "Commanders! Oh, generals, good morning."

Everyone looked at him curiously, waiting for him to say what he came here to say. Dogma cleared his throat before speaking again.

"I think I got a location."

~ O O O ~

Right after Dogma presented the coordinates he found, Steele and Wolffe got to work on researching the area. It didn't take long, and once they finished, they called in their special reinforcements.

The Bad Batch gathered around the table. They were being briefed on their first assignment of this job.

"The coordinates Dogma got points to this old mountain resort. It got shut down since the war affected this world's tourism," Steele explained to the squad.

They listened respectfully.

Wolffe zoomed the map out so it could display the resort's location in respect to their base's location. "Your job is to get there, find anything that could be related to the datachip, and get out."

"Simple enough," Hunter said. "What do you want us to do if we're met with hostiles?"

"If they're Separatists, subdue them. If they're enemy combatants, take them out," Wolffe answered.

"Can I blow them up?" Wrecker asked.

Both Wolffe and Steele gave him an ' _are you kidding me'_ look. But before either of them could respond to Wrecker, Hunter did.

"Sorry, Wrecker, not this time. We can't risk accidentally destroying the datachip or info related to it."

Wrecker's aura of disappointment filled the room. Crosshair looked at Hunter. "We're still gonna do things our way, are we, Sarge?"

"I dunno, _are_ we, commanders?" Hunter addressed Wolffe and Steele.

Steele rested his hands on the table and took a deep breath. "Just don't royally screw this up."

"We won't fail," Hunter assured. "If that's what you're worried about."

 _No, what we're worried about is you guys going over the top._ Steele internally said.

_**Next time on The Clone's Hero, the Bad Batch are sent out on their first assignment for this mission. Everyone could only pray that things go uneventful…** _


	33. First Raid (Clone Force 99 pt3)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N. One exam done. Three more to go. *Preparing lots and lots of tea in order to get through studying. And turning off notification to ensure utmost concentration! Just FYI, this arc would be 8 or 9 parts long. :)
> 
> Thank you all for your comments! I've been feeling sooo much better lately! Well, as better as I could be while this is exam week. XD
> 
> Please remember to bookmark or subscribe if you haven't yet. And leave a comment if you can. I always try my best to reply (emphasis on try, since I've been turning off notifications on all my devices as of late)
> 
> See you all next time! :)
> 
> \- MiraLake

**First Raid (Clone Force 99 pt3)**

_**A longer leash means more freedom, which can be synonymous with more trouble** _

The Bad Batch flew to the location of the mountain resort as soon as the meeting was over. It didn't take long for them to arrive at the old building and sneak up to its entrance.

"Clone Force 99, heading towards the front entrance," Hunter spoke into his comm.

"Hear you loud and clear. Be careful," Steele answered from the other end.

"Good to know you care about us, sir," Hunter said before commencing the operation.

Tech got a full scan of the building. He summarized his findings to the batch. "There are 29 floors but only the top 4 are accessible. The others are in ruins. Each floor has the same layout: courtyard, bedroom suites, restrooms, and dining areas. Except for the top, that's the penthouse suite."

Hunter looked at the exterior of the building then turned to Wrecker and Crosshair. "We dunno who we'll encounter so be prepared to switch from stun to kill in an instant. Try to make it one bolt per enemy. And be fast in clearing each floor, we can't have any potential Separatists escaping."

The two clones nodded. Satisfied, Hunter stood up. "Alright, let's go in."

The squad headed inside and towards the stairwell. Everything was rather quiet. Each storey they passed, they could see the ruins of the floor behind the dusty window of the exit door.

Eventually, the squad reached the first accessible level. There, they could see a Rhodian standing with an entourage of droids. The clones crept towards the group and Hunter signalled for Crosshair to take aim.

The Rhodian was speaking into a comm. "...he killed himself, or at least I hope he did. Anyways, the coordinates on his durasheet should be long-gone before—UGH!"

Crosshair sniped the Rhodian in the leg, causing him to fall over. The droids jerkily turned around and aimed their blasters.

"Intruders!"

Wrecker and Crosshair immediately fired before the droids had the chance to attack. Tech kept an active inspection of the entire floor to ensure they don't get ambushed.

Hunter dashed to the fallen Rhodian and dragged him behind cover. He then pressed a blaster to his head. "Are you Separatist?"

"No, I'm just a relayer!" The Rhodian shakily answered.

"Where's the datachip?"

The Rhodian was quiet. Then without warning, he pulled out a small blaster from his back pocket. But Hunter caught sight of that, and immediately pulled his trigger, killing the Rhodian.

He got to his feet as Wrecker took care of the final droid. Tech evaluated the destroyed clankers. "These droids have been reprogrammed. They fight for the specific Separatists we're looking for now, not the CIS as a whole."

"Now that's one thing we can report back to the commanders," Hunter chimed before heading towards the stairwell. "C'mon, we got 3 more floors to clear."

On the next floor, the clones were immediately met with hostilities. Reprogrammed droids opened fire almost immediately on them and didn't stop until they were shot down.

A female Roonan underling took cover in the dining hall while shouting into her comm. "We've been compromised, clones are here! You need to wipe out everything and notify base! NOW!"

Some inaudible words were heard from comm before Crosshair shot it out of the Roonan's hand. She jumped in response.

Crosshair kept her at blasterpoint. He noticed she was glancing at a handheld blaster right across from her. He knew what she was about to do.

"Don't do it—"

The Roonan reached for the blaster.

_Bang._

Crosshair shot her down before she could aim at him with it.

A series of loud footsteps echoed from the ceiling above them. Hunter didn't like the sound of that. Whoever the Twi'lek warned knows they're here now. And they'll try to prevent them from getting anything crucial.

"We need to hurry," he ordered.

The Bad Batch rushed to the next floor. Once again, they were greeted with an ambush of droids. The droids came out from nearly every corner and doors, all trying to overwhelm them.

But the clones expected that much. It didn't take long for them to clear the floor again. However, upon taking down the last droid, Hunter had a feeling they weren't finished yet.

He doubled his already heightened senses. There's definitely someone lurking here. Just when Wrecker was about to take another step forward, Hunter pulled him back.

"Wait! Crosshair, come over."

Crosshair walked up and Hunter pointed at a closed-door on the other side of the hall from them. "2 inches under the knob, can you hit there?"

"I got it." Crosshair wasted no time in aiming his rifle exactly where Hunter said, and firing.

"Argh!"

A cry of pain came from behind the door, followed by a shower of bullets. The clones quickly ducked for cover. As soon as they did that, the door burst open and out came a Frenk mercenary, holding one of his arms in pain.

Just then, another door opened and this time, a male Sarkhai emerged. He took one glance at the clones before making a break towards the stairwell.

"After him!" Hunter pointed at the Sarkhai.

But before they could ensue a chase, the Frenk came between them. He kept the clones busy with blaster bolts and acrobatics while the Sarkhai escaped.

Hunter didn't want to waste time dealing with this mercenary. That Sarkhai was probably the one the Twi'lek called to 'wipe out everything'. There's only one way to end this fast.

Turning to Wrecker, Hunter said in a loud and clear voice. "Go wild on him."

"Really!?"

"Mmhm. Just make it quick. And don't destroy the floor."

The Frenk barely had time to blink before Wrecker picked up a giant piece of debris and hurled it at him. A rain of bullets followed through from Wrecker's rotary blaster.

Despite the Frenk's extreme agility, he couldn't dodge well while having constant obstructions hurled at his face! And it didn't help that Wrecker had the stamina of a hundred assault tanks.

After taking one hit from a thrown debris, the Frenk fell over dropped his weapon. He met his end at Wrecker's hands.

"Took you long enough," Crosshair critiqued.

"Shut up," Wrecker said back.

Hunter reprimanded both of them. "Let's just get to the top floor!"

He led the way up the stairs towards the penthouse suite. There, they found the Sarkhai from downstairs by himself. He was frantically typing away on a large computer.

"Hands up!" Hunter ordered as he and the entire batch pointed their blasters at him.

The Sarkhai did as told with his back turned on them. Hunter began walking towards him. "You in league with the Separatist thieves?"

"I can't say," the Sarkhai replied.

"The hell you can't." Hunter walked even closer. "Where's the datachip?"

"Not here." The Sarkhai paused. "Though it shouldn't matter to dead clones anyways."

In the blink of an eye, the Sarkhai reached for a detonator but Crosshair prevented him from activating it by putting a bolt through his head.

Hunter ran to the computer and checked for anything useful. "Kriff, he deleted a lot of stuff. Tech, see if you can salvage anything."

Tech took over the computer. "Give me a few seconds." A few seconds later, Tech managed to find something. "Ah-ha, here we are!"

Everyone crowded around Tech who pulled up an image of a large facility building. "There are metadata tags attached to this image. The commanders should be able to examine it further back at base."

"Nice, I'll inform them of this right now." Hunter pulled up his comm.

~ O O O ~

Steele answered Hunter's incoming call in the communications centre. "Sergeant, are you finished?"

"Yes, sir," Hunter answered.

"Did you find the datachip? Or anything related to it?"

"The datachip's not here. And unfortunately, the enemy deleted the vast majority of their info, but we still got something. We'll bring it back to you for analysis," Hunter said.

"Alright, that's fine. Just download what you got and return soon."

"'Return soon?' Commander, we took care of all the hostiles here and you're telling us to just snatch and run?"

"I'm telling you to think about the rest of us. Up to this point, our targets have never been attacked, so I don't know how they'll respond or if they'll respond at all. We're vulnerable here. So please just come back with what you got."

Hunter sighed. "Look, if we leave immediately, we might miss out on something crucial. And you don't want that, right?"

"No, but—"

"—Then don't worry about a thing, we'll return soon enough."

Steele didn't like the sound of that. "No, no, sergeant, listen to me. Sergeant?"

But Hunter had ended the call. Standing across from Steele, Wolffe looked at the bemused expression on his face.

"They hung up on you?"

"They hung up on me." Steele stared at the device in stunned silence. "They can't do that."

"No they can't," Wolffe agreed.

Steele remained silent.

Wolffe spoke again. "What should we do about it?"

"I dunno. Ask Cody."

~ O O O ~

Back at the penthouse suite of the resort, Tech was downloading the image from the computer. In the background, Hunter was sweeping around the floor with Wrecker and Crosshair.

They were adamant about finding something more.

"Keep looking!" Hunter encouraged. "The computer can't be the only place that holds info."

Wrecker and Crosshair looked at each other. They continued scanning around for potential clues.

"The Sarge really wants to find this datachip, eh?" Wrecker said while searching.

"Of course he does," Crosshair replied obviously. "Remember? He wants to know exactly what kind of information is contained inside. And honestly, so do I."

"But didn't the commanders say to not investigate on our own?" Wrecker asked.

"Well, the commanders aren't here. Keep looking."

Hunter finished scouring one corner of the penthouse, and was now looking at a couple of doors that lined the hall. One door in particular, caught his eye.

"Tech!"

"Yes, Sarge?"

"This door's got a scratched-out label that I barely make out. Can you try and read it?"

Tech carefully put down his downloading computer and walked over. He inspected the label. "I'll see what I can with the characters that are still visible…"

A couple of deductive seconds later, Tech came up with a possible answer. "By trial and elimination, and some common Aurebesh patterns, I think it reads 'Confidential.'"

Hunter smiled. He struck gold. "Not anymore. Wrecker, come over! I need you to pry this door open!"

"Ok!" Wrecker made his way over.

Tech walked back to his computer, overseeing the downloading of the image. It was extremely close to being done.

"Stand back, Sarge!" Wrecker warned.

Hunter backed up a bit as Wrecker rubbed his hands together, gripped the door's handle, and pulled. Despite the building's fragile state, this door seemed was quite durable.

At the computer, the download was finally complete. Tech announced, "The image is downloaded! Let's go!"

As soon as he said that, Wrecker tore the door open. An alarm suddenly went off.

"What the…?" Wrecker exclaimed.

The entire squad immediately prepared for battle. But surprisingly, nothing came at them. Which was strange.

"What did we trigger?" Tech demanded.

"Worry about that later!" Hunter ran into the room Wrecker opened up. "C'mon, let's get what we can and then get outta here!"

The rest of the batch rushed in after him.

~ O O O ~

Plo was walking around outside the base with two of his troopers. They were finishing a run-through of their border security.

"Everything seems stable so far, general," one of the clones said.

"Indeed," Plo responded.

"Um, general. If you don't mind me asking…" the other clone trailed off.

"Ask away," Plo encouraged.

"Are you really ok with the lack of info you've been receiving for this hunt-and-retrieval? Because if you're not, you should really speak up! You're a member of the Council, you shouldn't have to work around this!"

"Does this have anything to do with the presence of Clone Force 99?"

The clone who asked the question paused. "I don't like what they're saying about you hiding stuff, sir! But they do make some good points."

"I see." Plo turned around to put a hand on the clone's shoulder. "And I appreciate you bringing that up with me. But please, let me and Aliyah handle this nonsensical hiding of information. You keep doing the good work you're already doing."

"Alright, sir."

They continued walking.

Suddenly, the ground shook with mild tremors. Plo stopped in his tracks and looked to the distance. The two clones did the same.

"Sir, what are you looking at—"

"—Get down!"

Plo pushes the two clones to the ground before whipping out his lightsaber and deflecting a couple of incoming blaster bolts. In the distance was a horde of reprogrammed droids, marching—rather quickly—towards the base.

"Go warn the others!" Plo ordered the two clones as they got back to their feet. "Hurry!"

They did as told and rushed inside the base. Plo continued deflecting more blaster bolts. He turned on his comm and contacted Aliyah. "Aliyah! We're under attack! Do you…"

"...hear me? We're under attack!" Was what Aliyah heard from her commlink.

She rushed to the lookout tower next to her and climbed to the top. The guards on duty were peering through their binoculars, frozen by what they saw.

"What the hell!?" One guard exclaimed.

"Let me borrow that." Aliyah demanded the binoculars and the guard complied. She peered through the lens. "'What the hell' is right."

The sea of twitchy incoming droids was a sight to behold.

Aliyah immediately rushed back down and started assigning as many officers to defensive tasks as she can. "Kal, get to the north side and prepare them for what's coming! Sinker, take as many men as you can and go help Plo! He's defending the south gate by himself right now!"

"Yes, general!" Sinker said before leaving.

"The rest of you, start organizing our forces for the defense of this base! And be fast about it!"

The clone officers nodded before running off in different directions. Aliyah left to help out elsewhere. This was an attack they did not see coming.

At the comm centre, Steele and Wolffe emerged as soon as they heard the emergency alarms. Outside, the base was in absolute chaos. They couldn't believe this.

Back inside, another call came in from Hunter. "Commanders, we managed to find some really good stuff and are about to return!...Hello? Hello? Is everything alright over there?"

"What'd you do?" Steele demanded as he ran over to the comm device. " _What_. Did you do?"

_**Next time on The Clone's Hero, the 2 battalions and the Bad Batch work together to defend the base from this lethal ambush, but relations between them worsen…** _


	34. Confrontation (Clone Force 99 pt4)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N. Got a final tomorrow. Wish me luck! In the meantime, please enjoy this chapter. :)
> 
> Summer's almost over. Are any of you going back to school in-person or continuing online classes? What are your thoughts on the upcoming school year? I personally just hope I'll be able to find a job for my next co-op workterm!
> 
> Anyways, as always, please leave kudos, please bookmark, please comment, please subscribe, and please smile!
> 
> See you all next time! :)
> 
> \- MiraLake

**Confrontation (Clone Force 99 pt4)**

_**Arguing never gets anyone anywhere** _

Steele didn't even get the chance to hear Hunter's answer before an explosion outside caused the call to disconnect. He and Wolffe ran out again to help with defending their base. They immediately seized the nearest available trooper and asked him what's going on.

"I dunno, sirs! The clankers came out of nowhere! General Plo's holding the south flank right now and General Korentayer's at the west end!" The trooper explained in a hurry.

"Thank you!" Steele said before letting him go. He turned to Wolffe. "Go help your general, I'll go help mine!"

Wolffe didn't argue. He and Steele immediately split up.

Everywhere, everyone was fighting hard. Defending the base to the best of their power. But the droids had the upper hand due to their numbers, surprise factor, and unusual jerky movements which caused their blaster fire to go in random directions.

The base was getting more and more overwhelmed.

At the southern gate, Plo and his men were forced to move back due to the sheer pressure of the wave. Suddenly, a nearby lookout tower fell apart, unable to hold up its damage.

"Look out!" Plo shouted in warning.

Before he could attempt to catch the falling debris, it was suddenly blasted into pieces by a starship. The Bad Batch has finally returned.

They landed their ship in front of Plo and his clones. Then stepped out and into the fray.

"Alright!" Wrecker reloaded his blaster. "More action!"

"Looks like we got here in time for the party," Crosshair mused.

Wolffe resisted the urge to throw a rock at him. "Stop standing there and help out!"

"Yes, commander!" Hunter said without question.

With the Bad Batch's help, the defense of the base turned to their side, albeit just a little. The droids still put up a good fight due to their unpredictable movements.

It took the clones all day until the droids were finally wiped out. By then, the base was in shambles. Lookout towers were half gone, border gates were beaten to a pulp, there was smoke and fire everywhere, and nearly all their outer buildings were destroyed.

"Sorry, man. Looks like we're sleeping in tents tonight," one clone said to his friend, who specifically said he 'I'm not gonna sleep in a tent tonight!' while fighting.

That poor clone dropped to his knees.

~ O O O ~

Cleanup of the base was taking place. Everyone pitched in to help clear up the area of destruction and debris. Plo and Aliyah took a couple of clones to help them dispose of fallen droids. The rest remained at base.

"How did this happen?" Wolffe sighed.

Steele couldn't answer. "I don't know."

"I think, I may have an explanation, sirs."

Tech and the rest of the Bad Batch up to the two commanders. All the clones in the area slowed their working pace to hear what Tech had to say.

"Back at the resort, we discovered a locked door and pried it open. It triggered an alarm," Tech revealed. "While Hunter and the others were looking for critical info, I examined the room a bit. And from what I saw, the Separatists made some kind of fail-safe system, in case we managed to follow them thus far. The reprogrammed droids were sent in hopes of wiping us out."

The clones were quiet. Then Wolffe broke the silence. "Steele told you to download what you got and get out. You didn't listen."

"What?" Vito was shocked. "Are you saying they blatantly disobeyed orders and caused this ambush to happen?"

Crosshair dismissed that. "It was for the good of the mission. Besides, the base isn't that bad."

"Isn't that bad!?" Compass couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Take a look." He gestured to the demolished barracks buildings. One of which timely broke in half. "Take a good kriffing look."

"Swear," Wrecker pointed out.

"Shut up!" Crosshair and Compass simultaneously shouted.

The clones and the batch instantly began bickering. Over the state of their base. Over the fact that this ambush could've been easily avoided. Over the need to respect the Republic's confidentiality.

"You're acting as if you want to find out what's inside this datachip! Are you trying to get us all court-martialed?" Kal demanded.

"Yeah, why can't you just follow simple orders?" Boost added in.

"Because we care about the end results." Hunter faced everyone. "It's obvious that this datachip being in enemy hands is putting all of us in danger. And since the Chancellor isn't wholly helping us with this hunt, then he's also putting us in danger."

"That's treason talk!" Dogma cried.

Everyone began clamouring. The place became a pit of insults, swears, and threats.

"Enough!" Steele shouted, his frustration nearing peak. "We've been at each other's throats since day one, and it's not getting us anywhere!" He addressed to the lot of his and Wolffe's men. Then he turned his attention to the batch. "You four! I'm gonna let this go, just this one time. But something like today better not happen again!"

"Funny. As Krell's ex-commander, I thought you'd be more agreeable with us," Crosshair said, arms crossed.

Steele slowly turned his gaze to him. His face devoid of any expression.

"And given your early-war days with that guy, I really thought you'd be a step-up from the regs. But it turns out, you've become brainwashed by your current general."

"Crosshair!" Hunter scolded. "That's too far—"

_Whack!_

Steele connected his fist to Crosshair's jaw, knocking him out cold onto the ground. Everyone stared in disbelief.

That's when Aliyah and a couple of clones who went for droid disposal turned the corner.

"What," she began as she walked towards the scene, "in the galaxy is going on here?"

Nobody answered. None of them wanted to get the commander in trouble.

Things became more tense when Plo and the rest of the droid disposal clones showed up. Plo immediately took notice of the scene and refused to have silence as an answer.

"If no one starts speaking within the next 5 seconds, then—"

"—It was me." Steele answered blankly. "My fault. Someone go fetch a medic."

He knelt down next to the unconscious Crosshair with Hunter and Wrecker, while Wolffe volunteered to get a medic. Again.

"Hey," Wolffe put a hand on Steele's shoulder. "You sure you're ok?"

Steele breathed, "Just get a medic…"

~ O O O ~

The Bad Batch—minus Crosshair—stood across from the two very tired, but stern-looking, generals. Across from them was Steele, and next to him, was Wolffe. All seven of them, gathered under a recently put-up tent, which served as their replacement briefing building.

Plo, who had his back turned to everyone, turned around to speak. "Let's start with the good news. Crosshair's jaw isn't broken."

Steele and Hunter weakly nodded. Each feeling an equal degree of guilt.

"What's the bad news then?" Wolffe cautiously asked.

"Plo and I decided not to report these events to the Council. And neither will any of you," Aliyah answered. The clones looked at her incredulously. "Treasonous, I know. But if they knew about what happened today, we'd all get sent back effective immediately. _This_ cannot happen again. Understand?"

This time, everybody nodded. Plo was glad to see that at least for now, they're being more agreeable. He relaxed his stance.

"Now, let's talk about today's events." Plo turned to Hunter. "Sergeant, you already explained to me what caused this ambush. The room you broke into triggered an alarm, correct?"

"Yes, general." Hunter truly sounded sincere. "I take full responsibility for the attack."

"I'm glad you're doing that. But nonetheless, it still happened. However I'm sure it was for good reason. Whatever you found in that room, prepare to show it to us tomorrow morning."

Hunter nodded, but he was far from relieved. This conversation wasn't over yet.

"As for the more recent event during cleanup." Plo glanced between the batch and Steele. "From what I know so far, it started off as a dispute over the cause of attack. And ended with Crosshair knocked to the ground. Now, I'd like to hear from each of you, your recap of what happened."

Steele spoke before anyone else could beat him to it. "There's not much to recap. I hit Crosshair, bottom line."

"He was provoked into doing so," Hunter cut in. "Crosshair said some insensitive words, and I _will_ reprimand him later."

"Even so. As a commander, I should have just let it slide."

"Yes, but—"

"—That's enough," Aliyah interrupted. She had a look of disappointment on her face. "There's still some unresolved discomfort here. Steele, Wolffe will temporarily oversee the 304th, just for tonight. Please use this time to cool down and reflect on everything. Same goes for you three."

The batch didn't argue. As for Steele, he expected just as much. But it didn't make it any less painful.

Plo concluded the talk. "So it's decided. You four are exempt from any work tonight. I hope you'll work past your problems by then. You may all leave."

The clones all turned around to exit, with Steele being the first to walk out. And thus, being the first to face the dozens of waiting men outside, concerned over his outcome from the meeting.

"Uh, commander—" Dogma began.

"—Wolffe's your commander for tonight." Steele corrected. He wasn't surprised by the looks and mumbles of confusion. "Don't cause trouble for him…and don't cause trouble for Clone Force 99."

Everyone was speechless as Steele walked off.

~ O O O ~

The sky was now dark. It had been a long day of tent setup, debris cleanup, and equipment salvaging. And of course, treating the injured.

All the while, Steele and the three batch members were exempt from such tasks. The batch paid a visit to Crosshair in his private tent. And just a promised, Hunter reprimanded him—and quite sternly too. The place got quieter as more tents were setup and more injured to taken to rest.

Steele sat in a quiet spot outside the ruins of the base. Trying hard to 'cool down and reflect'. But it was difficult…with all the memories that's been resurfaced.

… _"And you think that gives you the ok to disobey me?"…_

… _Steele looked at his general earnestly. "In these circumstances? Yes, sir."…_

… _All his clones nodded in agreement. They were so sure that their general would agree with them that they didn't see the first punch coming in.…_

Steele rubbed his forehead in dismay. He regretted punching Crosshair. Very, very much.

"Hey, commander." Hunter suddenly appeared behind Steele. Wrecker and Tech were right with him. "Mind if we join you?"

"Go ahead."

Steele gestured to the space next to him. Hunter took a seat on his right, while Wrecker and Tech sat on his left.

"So. How's Crosshair?" Steele asked in concern.

"Awake and functioning. Though, he won't be speaking coherently anytime soon." Hunter did a light chortle. "You should be relieved for that."

"Yeah, you really knocked the lights out of him, commander," Wrecker added. Steele wasn't sure if that was a compliment or not.

But either way, he still felt a need to apologize. "I owe him an apology."

"Look…" Tech adjusted himself so he could face Steele directly. "...we were all acting pretty hot-headed back there. This is a contentious mission to say the least. And we all have our own bias towards certain strategems."

Steele sighed, clearly exasperated. "And your bias is to always challenge everything we give you."

"No." Hunter flatly said. "We weren't always like this— _I_ , wasn't always like this. At least to the degree you see me now."

Steele slowly turned his head to him, giving him his full attention.

"It wasn't until I learnt of Umbara, that I started questioning literally everything they gave me," Hunter revealed.

 _Umbara…I'm a fool to have thought it only affected the ones who were there._ Steele thought as Hunter continued speaking.

"The things that happened on that shadow world? Never existed in our simulations—even the worst-case ones." Hunter looked genuinely upset. "We're only ever taught rules. Rules, rules, rules, rules, so many rules. Serve the Republic, obey your general, protect the people, look out for your brothers. But what if your general belongs to an order whose interests conflict with those of the Republic's? What if…the Republic puts their own people in danger? Best yet, what if you're thrust into a situation where your general deliberately harms you, has turned against the Republic, and massacres your brothers just because he can? Rules will be broken one way or the other, for better or worse. And I don't intend to go down like those who fell on Umbara."

Steele honestly never expected hearing something like this from Hunter. It was eye-opening. He softened his gaze.

"They're nothing like Krell."

"No. Thankfully they're not," Hunter agreed. The tension between them lightened a little. After a peaceful moment of silence, Hunter asked, "So what's it like being Krell's ex-commander?"

"What?"

"It's just something I've been wanting to know for a while," Hunter quickly added. "After Umbara, everyone was practically digging for dirt on Krell's history, including us. And your name came up quite a few times. Former commander to infamous General Krell and managed to outlive him. Can you really blame me for wanting to see what kind of person you were?"

Steele contemplated that question for a good half a minute, before answering. "Well, you've seen me now."

"Yeah. And I'm confused."

"Confused?"

"You don't strike me as someone who's served a tyrant," Hunter explained.

"Other than that knock-out punch you demonstrated today!" Wrecker added.

"Yeah, other than that."

Steele became curious. "Oh? Then what do I strike you as?"

Hunter thought hard for the proper words to use. "Someone who's been in a respectful environment, despite this being a war. And. Someone who puts a lot of value in the people he works with."

"Well." Steele gave a light smile. "You're not wrong."

"Then I hope you'll start questioning events like this," Hunter added. His tone was hard and serious. "For the sake of those you work with."

"I hope I won't ever have to be in events like this again."

~ O O O ~

"Can we get another cable here?" Wolffe demanded while holding up a tent that was on the brink of collapsing in on itself.

Two seconds later, Egad showed up with a cable and handed it over. Wolffe hooked it to the framework before staking it to the ground. The tent was stable again.

He stood back up. "Alright, it's all good."

"Thank you, Wolffe." Standing in front of the tent and holding up an injured soldier, was Plo. He and another medic helped walk him forward. "In you go."

The two carefully put the soldier inside the tent, who managed a soft 'thank you'. The medic stayed behind to continue treatment and Plo came back out.

"Everything's about done, general," Wolffe said as soon as Plo emerged. "Shelters, equipment, patrols, all dealt with."

"How many on patrol?"

"For now? 20."

Plo didn't like the sound of that. "I'll help out on the first watch. Lets nothing eventful will happen tonight."

"Agreed." Wolffe didn't bother trying to talk his general into resting early. Behind him, Aliyah walked up towards them, carrying four rolled-up sleeping bags.

"One for you." Aliyah handed one of the bags she was carrying to Plo. "And one for you." She handed the second one to Wolffe. "Try to stay warm while sleeping out in the open."

"You too," Plo reminded.

Wolffe looked at the fourth sleeping bag that's been put on the ground. "What's with the extra one?"

"That one's for Steele," Aliyah explained. "He won't take a tent even if I offered."

Nearby clones stopped working upon hearing that. Reminders of this afternoon's dispute came back to them. And they still feel the outcome was somewhat unfair.

"General Korentayer…" One of the clones stood up. "...he really was provoked into hitting him."

"Yeah." Another clone joined in. "I mean, c'mon, he was willing to let go of this incident, but that sniper just kept on pushing!"

"Exactly!"

"You know what he said?" Sinker spoke out. "He said, and this is quoting him, 'you've been brainwashed by your current general.'"

Aliyah flinched. Behind her, Plo also looked visibly disturbed. This was unsettling for them to hear. Everyone gave her expectant looks, waiting for her to say something. And she did.

"I gave him, and the three of them, a break from this work. Because I can't condone this arguing anymore in our current situation. We need to start cooperating. I know they made some mistakes but that doesn't mean we have to too. Let's try again tomorrow, ok?"

Aliyah picked up Steele's sleeping bag from the ground, she nestled it under one arm. "Don't sleep on negative emotions tonight."

She walked off.

~ O O O ~

Steele and the three batch members continued conversing. The unresolved discomfort between them was gradually dissipating away. It got to the point where Hunter felt at ease enough to ask Steele a heavy question.

"Tell me commander, what do you want out of this war?"

Being completely caught off-guard by this question, Steele decided to redirect it to Hunter. "You answer first."

Hunter answered almost immediately. "Liberty. Independence. Self-rule." He gestured to Wrecker and Tech. "That's what we want. Now, don't dodge the question."

But Steele really didn't know what to say. He never thought about things like this. It does nothing but bring unwanted complications.

"Hey, look who's coming!" Wrecker nodded behind them.

Steele turned around to see Aliyah walking towards them. He stood up. "General?"

"Catch!"

She threw one of the two giant bundles of sleeping bags at him. He nearly fell back upon catching it. "What's this for?"

"Not enough tents for everyone. This is to make sure you don't freeze to death." Aliyah stopped in front of him and put her own sleeping bag down. She looked at Hunter. "If you don't mind, I'd like to speak with my commander alone."

"Don't mind at all, general." Hunter stood up. "C'mon Tech, Wrecker. Let's retire to the ship. See you both in the morning."

The three clones left the area. As soon as they were out of ear range, Aliyah began the conversation.

"When were you going to tell me about the 'brainwash' comment?"

"Tomorrow morning," Steele replied. "You had enough to deal with for today's events, I didn't want to add to it."

"This isn't adding to it! This is…" Aliyah trailed off, not sure if she should say this or not. "Look, I know that since the start of this hunt, Plo and I have been limiting the things you guys could and could not do, and that only added weight to Crosshair's comment today."

Steele waved a hand in assurance. "It's fine. Really. Politics…can make 'bout anything complicated."

"Just know that I care about you, probably more than I should, and I don't want you or anyone else to think you have no right to voice suspicions or question orders." She narrowed her eyes. "So long you don't end up putting yourself on the Chancellor's blacklist."

Steele only nodded in response. That was good enough for Aliyah. "Alright. Go get some rest."

_**Next time on The Clone's Hero, the location of the Separatist hideout is pinned, and the Bad Batch are sent to inspect it, with some accompaniment…** _


	35. Separatist Hideout (Clone Force 99 pt5)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N. SO! I finished my exams (wrote my last one this morning, hip hip hooray!). I kinda-sorta fixed the bad blood between my two friends. I cut off ties with that friend who betrayed my trust (and then tried to blame it completely on the fact he was drinking during our chat-session). I don't have COVID. And I'll be going to a cottage retreat for an entire week! Yay! :D
> 
> PS. Because I'm not sure how good internet will be at the cottage, so there may or may not be a delay in the next chapter's release.
> 
> Anyways, as usual. Please leave kudos, please bookmark, please comment. Thanks for reading.
> 
> See you all next time! :)
> 
> \- MiraLake

**Separatist hideout (Clone Force 99 pt5)**

_**Take the second chance for compatibility** _

"Kerch Kushi. Former Separatist Senator," Hunter explained as he displayed the holographic image of a green-skinned humanoid. "He's the mastermind behind this."

"Is that what you got from the triggered room?" Aliyah asked.

"Yes, general."

"What do we know about him so far?"

Tech took over. "He's an idealist and joined the CIS before the war's outbreak. But somewhere between the event of the failed peace initiative and now, he left the Separatists. And stole the information we're currently trying to retrieve. That's about as far as I could retrieve from the databanks."

"That's more than enough. We'll handle the rest of it," Aliyah said. She then turned to Steele. "Bring up the image."

Steele nodded as he switched the table to display the image of the facility the Bad Batch obtained from their last raid. "Wolffe and I scoured the metadata earlier this morning. Turns out, this building is where the Separatists are currently hiding out. Dug a little further and we now got the coordinates to this place. It's on the planet literally next door to us."

The batch took the reveal with surprise and a hint of satisfaction. They were here for 2 days, and already, they managed to help find the hideout. It's a new record for them.

"However before we launch a full-scale attack, I want to make sure this facility is absolutely legitimate," Plo explained.

Hunter knew what was coming next. "So you're gonna send us in to check it out?"

"Not quite," Wolffe answered for Plo. "You're gonna be sent in. But Steele and I will be coming along. Can't have a repeat of what happened last time."

The batch members looked at each other. None of them said a word—out of consideration for Crosshair, who hasn't made eye contact with Steele since this meeting began.

Finally, Hunter shrugged and answered, "I guess we kinda had it coming. But it shouldn't be a problem. Compromise requires giving in a little after all."

~ O O O ~

The entire base was silent as the Bad Batch boarded their ship with the commanders. They still haven't entirely forgiven them for what happened yesterday but were willing to give them a second chance.

The ride to the Separatist hideout was long and awkward. Mainly due to the tension between Crosshair and Steele.

"Think we'll meet a lot of adversaries?" Hunter asked, trying to lighten the mood.

"We'll see once we get there," Steele answered.

Crosshair remained silent. Either because he doesn't want to speak or his jaw prevents him to speak.

Hunter was about to find out. "Crosshair, you can still shoot straight, right?"

Crosshair turned his head to Hunter. Looked at him with a dead-pan expression. And nodded once. The tension got tighter.

Wolffe internally sighed. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to accompany them. Oh well, too late now.

~ O O O ~

Plo and Aliyah were in midst of a call with the Council and the Chancellor. Informing them of the discovery of Senator Kerch Kushi, and attempting to pry for anything related to this guy. But as usual, the Chancellor refused to let up.

"Senator Kushi was never largely involved in any major campaigns. Thus, we never had to closely monitor his actions."

"But his actions were still monitored, correct?" Plo asked.

"Master Jedi—"

"—Your Excellency," Plo replied in the same tone Palpatine uses on him whenever he attempted to diverge the topic. "We have managed to find the one behind this whole debacle, which is a sure thing we're nearing the end of this hunt. Perhaps now, would be a good time for cooperation."

The Council members stood in shock and Palpatine, who had on a calm-facade this entire time, shifted ever-so-slightly in his stance. His expression turned hard.

"Considering you've made it this far without cooperation, I have no doubt you'll be able to continue down, using the same methods as you always have, Master Jedi."

Neither Plo nor Aliyah had the composure to attempt at persuasion again. Luckily, their expressions had not gone unnoticed by a watchful Obi-Wan, in the corner of the holotable.

~ O O O ~

Finally, the ship reached the destination of the coordinates. The facility building that the Separatists using as their hideout was built on a steep cliffside. Only a couple of damaged bridges extended from the building, connecting it to more stable ground.

The clones landed a safe distance away before coming out.

"Place looks kinda rundown," Wolffe remarked.

"Still looks better than that mountain resort," Hunter said. "Anyways, how are gonna enter?"

Steele pointed at a battered bridge that led to a non-prominent gateway. "Back entrance. When we go in, we stay low and stay hidden. Our objective is to see whether or not the Separatists are here."

"And the datachip?" Wrecker asked.

"If the Separatists are here, then the datachip should be here too," Steele answered. "Hopefully."

The clones made their way down to the bridge and carefully walked across it. The walk was daunting due to how unstable the bridge was. However, things got worse when they entered the building.

The inside of the building was hollow and messy. Almost like a storm had raged through the halls of it.

"Looks like the Separatists aren't clean freaks," Wrecker observed as they walked about.

Everyone was on edge as they went down the halls. Fingers on trigger and ducking every corner to every sound they heard. However, so far they've encountered nothing.

Not a single lifeform or machinery. It was suspicious. And nerve-wracking. Every time they entered a new area, they didn't know what to expect.

"You sure this is the Separatist hideout, sir?" Hunter asked Steele.

"Unless the metadata is wrong, then yes."

"So do you think the metadata was wrong?"

"I dunno you tell me," Steele retorted as he pried open another door. "You were the ones who downloaded it."

The clones walked through the door and into another corridor. Tech answered Steele's last response, "The metadata should be fine. I ran a check on the downloaded image file for any corruption after we left the resort. So whatever info you got from it should be untampered with."

"But this place looks deserted." Wrecker brought up a hand to show emphasis.

Steele didn't deny it. "You're right. It's too quiet. We should've come across someone or something by now."

They continued to explore around. Trying to find anything related to the Separatist thieves or the datachip.

~ O O O ~

Ever since the Council call finished, Plo and Aliyah busied themselves with aiding their men around the base. So much needed to be dealt with after the attack. Last night only handled the tip of the iceberg.

Suddenly, they were approached by Kal. "Generals, you have an incoming call…from General Kenobi."

The two Jedi immediately returned to the communication tent. Sure enough, a hologram of Obi-Wan greeted them upon arrival. But what surprised them was the hologram of Senator Padme Amidala standing next to him.

"Master Jedi, I hope it hasn't been too unpleasant for you lately," she politely said.

"Senator Amidala, Master Kenobi." Plo gave them his full attention. "What is this call about?"

"The matter surrounding Senator Kerch Kushi," Obi-Wan answered. "I'll be frank, I haven't been too fond of the way the Chancellor's been acting with this whole thing. This datachip needs to be found, whether he wants it to be done rightly or not."

"Well, it'd really help if we had _some_ political assistance," Aliyah said.

"That's why I brought in Senator Amidala." Obi-Wan gestured to Padme who took over the talk.

"I know some facts about this Senator Kushi. I'm not sure if they'll help or not, but knowing how closed you've been from the upper echelon of the Senate, I think it's better than nothing."

~ O O O ~

The clones broke into a room that appeared to be the place where the datachip was being kept. Marked evident by an opened safe with the label '66' on it.

"'66?' Think it could've been a codeword for the datachip?" Wolffe remarked.

"Maybe." Hunter shrugged. "Who'd want to yell 'secret Republic info' all the time?"

Next to the safe was a collection of surveillance computer screens. It was situated in front of a tinted window that overlooked a large open area of the building.

Steele went up to the main computer and attempted to turn it on. "Blast it, it requires a passcode."

"Here. Let me, commander," Tech offered. He took over the keyboard and within a minute, he successfully got into the system.

"Well done," Steele commended.

"Thank you. Though it's kinda strange that the Separatists didn't bother wiping out these security recordings."

"Probably slipped their mind in their rush to get outta here," Hunter reasoned.

"Perhaps." Steele pointed at a file on the screen. "Bring up that recording, it's the most recent one dated yesterday."

Tech did as told. And seconds later, a hologram projection of a couple of well-dressed people appeared before the clones.

" _...Honestly, does he think having all those arms is intimidating?" A man in a guard uniform asked another guard standing nearby._

" _You might say otherwise if he manages to find us," his friend warned. "There's a reason why even the Jedi fear him."_

"Skip," Steele ordered. Tech pressed the fast-forward command until a new group of people appeared.

" _...of all the Jedi you know, which one would you like to have a one-nighter with?_ "

" _Obviously Master—_ "

"—Skip!"

"Awww c'mon!" Wrecker complained.

This time, Tech held the fast-forward command even longer. He didn't release until Steele saw a flash of Senator Kerch Kushi's holographic body pass by.

"Stop here!"

Tech immediately released. And the recording played as normal.

" _...need to leave now, By," Kushi said to a male Leyakian. "Some clones broke into our branch at the mountain resort and has triggered the fail-safe system. They know where we are and more importantly, they know who I am. It's only a matter of time before they're on our doorsteps."_

" _You're positive they survived our fail-safe?" The Leyakian—By, asked._

" _The fail-safe was never meant to wipe them out. Just slows them down long enough, so we can return to our previous base."_

" _The one back on the next world over?"_

" _Yes, that one."_

_By shook his head. "Things have really gone downhill since Grov got himself captured by clones."_

_Kushi put a comforting arm on By's shoulder. "Doesn't matter. So long as we hold this datachip, the galaxy has a future. Now hurry! We don't have a lot of ship fuel to waste!"_

_The two ran off-camera._

Tech stopped the recording. The clones now know where and why the Separatists left. But they don't have the specifics.

"So they returned to their previous base…on the next world over," Wolffe repeated.

Wrecker didn't like the sound of that. "That's really vague. Should we keep looking around?"

"No. This is good enough. They don't have a lot of fuel, which means they don't have a lot of options. We should be able to figure out their new location easily back at base."

"But shouldn't we—"

"—Quiet," Hunter suddenly said. He looked around, his eyes darting uneasily.

"What is it?" Steele demanded.

"I'm not sure," Hunter answered. "It felt like a bunch of entities suddenly coming up from underground. Almost like…"

The sight of a small red dot dancing on Wrecker's chest silenced Hunter. He immediately pushed him down before the sniper's blaster bolt broke through the window.

"Crosshair!" Hunter shouted.

Crosshair didn't need to be told twice. He immediately pulled up his rifle, aimed in the area where the shot came from, and pulled the trigger.

The sound of plasma bolt hitting metal echoed through the building. Followed by the sound of more metal hitting the ground in a marching sequence.

"Looks like we can't look around even if we wanted to! Let's get outta here!" Steele nodded towards the door.

Everyone prepared for battle as they headed out of the room and into the halls. The marching of the reprogrammed droids got closer.

~ O O O ~

"Look, ma'am!" The pilot shook awake Gossam Separatist Senator, Amita Fonti. "We have clones in the building."

Fonti looked at the scanner the pilot pointed to. "Just like Kerch predicted."

"Shall we try and execute plan B?"

Fonti was quiet for a second. Then she nodded. "Let's execute plan B."

~ O O O ~

Back at the base camp, the call from Obi-Wan and Padme was still going on. Padme was explaining to Plo and Aliyah, her knowledge of Kerch Kushi.

"He was a good colleague of an old friend of mine, the late Senator Mina Bonteri."

"Senator Bonteri? Separatist Senator of the failed peace-initiative?" Aliyah asked.

"Yes, that's right." Grief underlay Padme's voice, but she kept speaking. "Anyway, Kushi was one of the main supporters for the initiative, defending it firmly during its formulation, Padawan Ahsoka Tano and I were witnesses to that. The Separatist Parliament was in favour of ending the war peacefully. But as you all know how things turned out…"

"...Senator Bonteri was untimely killed before you and your colleagues could conclude the peace offer," Plo finished.

"By order of Count Dooku," Padme added. "And I'm very sure, that this was something known—if not suspected—among the Separatists. If her son, Lux Bonteri knows of Dooku's involvement, I'd say her closest friends and colleagues might've also known. Kushi could've very well left the Confederacy, because he saw what Dooku does to followers who don't share his ideals."

Plo and Aliyah took note of that. Everything that's been said about Kushi so far, made him seem morally-ambiguous. He has no love left for the CIS, but continues to despise the Republic. And so, he made his own side.

"And one more thing!" Padme suddenly said. "When you do find him…unless it'll get you in too much heat with the Chancellor, please just apprehend him. Him and his allies. They should at least be given a fair trial."

"We'll…do what we can. Thank you for your assistance, Senator Amidala, Master Kenobi," Plo said.

"It is my pleasure." Padme smiled.

"Just remember that on the report level, this conversation never happened," Obi-Wan reminded Plo and Aliyah. "May the Force be with you."

He ended the call.

~ O O O ~

Down the halls of the building, the clones struggled through the debris and droidfire to make it to the exit. Regular reprogrammed droids were bad enough to deal with. But combine twitchiness and the agility of commando droids, and that was a recipe for disaster.

It was near impossible to shoot them when they were coming down headfirst. Even Crosshair was having some trouble. The only way to take them down for sure was via grenades. But they only had so many grenades.

"The clankers seem to be ganging up!" Wrecker said as he and Crosshair worked together to keep them at bay.

"Well are you low on power?" Hunter asked.

"No."

"Then blast them harder!"

Nodding in obedience, Wrecker cranked up the intensity setting on his blaster. Crosshair did the same. Every shot needed to count now. Whether it hit them or grazed them.

It took the clones a couple of minutes, but they managed to reach a familiar area. And before long, they made it back out onto the bridge.

But the bridge wasn't in the same condition as when they first crossed.

"What the—" Wolffe was flabbergasted.

The middle of the bridge was destroyed. A large gap replaced what was the once crossable beam, with the remaining intact ends of the bridge sloping down towards it.

Hunter stood next to Wolffe and examined the gap. "We can jump it. It's not that far."

"Length isn't what I'm concerned about," Wolffe confessed. He looked behind him, the droids were still following them. "Ah, what choice do we have. Tech!"

Tech went up to Wolffe. "Yes, commander?"

"You get across first. Out of all of us, you're the one who can give the generals the best description and analysis of what we found here. Now go!"

Though a bit hesitant at first, Tech listened to Wolffe's order. Taking a couple steps back, he ran forward and jumped across the gap, landing safely on the other side. Much to everyone's relief.

Behind them, Wrecker's endless firing at the droids suddenly came to stop. "I'm overheating! Gonna take a quick break!"

As soon as he said that, a lucky blaster bolt grazed his shoulder and flew past him to graze Wolffe's arm as well. They both cried out in pain.

"Argh!" Wrecker nearly dropped his rotary blaster.

"This is not my day!" Wolffe seethed.

Crosshair immediately took care of the droid responsible for that lucky shot, while the rest tended to the two injured clones.

"You two need to get over there now!" Steele insisted as he helped Wrecker towards the edge of the gap.

Hunter agreed with Steele while holding Wolffe up. "Don't try and argue. Jump!"

With the help of Steele and Hunter, Wrecker and Wolffe managed to make it across the gap. Tech immediately addressed their wounds. Luckily it wasn't anything too serious.

Hunter turned to Steele. "You next, commander."

"No, you go. You've been hiding your injury well." Steele pointed at the burn mark on Hunter's left abdomen.

Hunter gently touched his wound, shaking his head. "A little something from that sniper. Fine, I'll see you and Crosshair on the other side."

With that, Hunter made the gap as well. By now, the ends of the other side began to buckle a bit. Its structural integrity was being pushed by the clones' constant landing. This was exactly what Wolffe was concerned about.

"Hurry up!" He shouted at the two remaining clones on the droid end of the bridge.

Crosshair nodded in response. He planned to move back right after shooting one last droid. But when he pulled the trigger for that, nothing came out. His rifle was jammed.

"Kriff," Crosshair softly swore as he attempted to unjam his rifle.

The droid commando he was going to shoot, took this chance to jump on him. Crosshair was pushed to the ground, his rifle acting as the only piece of defense between him and the droid. But the impact caused his jaw and head to throb again, and his vision to blur.

Suddenly, the droid was forcefully kicked off of him and met its end with a blaster to the head

"C'mon!" Steele seethed as he yanked Crosshair up.

The two made their way to the edge of the gap. The droids coming in behind them. Seeing that Crosshair was still a bit disoriented, Steele practically threw him over to the other side before preparing to jump himself.

Taking out his last grenade, Steele removed the pin and rolled it behind him. The blast took out the remaining droids as he leapt across the gap.

But then fate decided to play a cruel joke. The bridge end decided to finally give way the second Steele landed. He ran as fast as he could to safety but missed it by an inch.

"Steele!" Wolffe rushed in to catch Steele by the arm.

Wrecker was about to go in to help but Hunter stopped him. "No, don't! Take out the syntherope instead!"

The ends of the bridge were starting to slope down even more and Wolffe's wounded arm was pounding in pain. But he wasn't about to leave his friend behind. Steele held for dear life on Wolffe's hand.

"Don't let go!" Steele grunted.

"It's ok, it's ok! I got you!" Wolffe assured. "I got you, buddy!"

Behind them, Hunter had hooked himself onto one end of a syntherope and gave the other to Wrecker. "Hang onto this, I'm going out there."

"Be careful, Sarge!" Wrecker warned as Hunter made his way down the bridge.

Turning his head around, Wolffe could see Hunter cautioning towards him. He nodded in thanks and began putting every ounce of his energy into pulling Steele up.

Then out of nowhere, a blast hit the bridge, completely severing its remaining loose ends.

Wolffe lost his grip on Steele and nearly fell into the abyss with him. Hunter managed to quickly grab onto Wolffe, and Wrecker—despite the pain in his shoulder—immediately pulled the two back in with the help of Tech and Crosshair.

That's when a ship suddenly appeared. It the ship carrying Senator Fonti and her pilot. They flew in under the falling Steele, opened a latch on their roof, and caught him with perfect precision.

Wolffe and the batch watched in disbelief as the ship disappeared into the distance. He couldn't believe it. Steele was now in enemy hands.

_**Next time on The Clone's Hero, Wolffe and the Bad Batch return to base, with news of the Separatists' relocating and of Steele's capture…** _


	36. Captured (Clone Force 99 pt6)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N. Happy last day of summer guys (if it's already September for you, then happy first day of fall)!
> 
> This update is my gift to all you! I hope you like it! :D
> 
> By the way, I updated this while at my cottage! I went kayaking for the first time yesterday and I'm happy to say I didn't tip over! XD
> 
> Anyways, I hope you guys had a great summer break and I wish you all the best of luck in your upcoming school year!
> 
> Please remember to bookmark, leave kudos, or a comment!
> 
> See you all next time! :)
> 
> \- MiraLake

**Captured (Clone Force 99 pt6)**

_**Sometimes it takes extreme situations to make you realize what's obvious** _

The first thing Steele remembered feeling as hitting the starship's floor was how much the impact hurt. The next thing he remembered was the female Gossam, 'Senator Fonti' he heard the pilot call her, stick a syringe into his neck.

He responded to that by grabbing Fonti, putting her in a headlock, and holding her at blasterpoint. He directed his attention to the panicking pilot.

"Turn this ship around!" Steele demanded while pressing his blaster to Fonti's temple. "Turn it around now! Or she dies—ugh!"

The effects of the injected drug kicked in.

"Blast it…no…"

Steele slowly lost his grip on Fonti and his own body. He collapsed to the floor. Fonti backed up a little, catching her breath.

"Milady, are you alright?" The pilot asked.

She nodded. "J—just a little shaken. Anyways, the injection should keep him out of it until we arrive…"

What was this drug? Steele felt like he just finished a hundred shots in a single sitting. This was drunk on a whole new level. He couldn't even speak now.

Fonti pulled Steele onto a flattened seat and tied him in. Then she rejoined her pilot at the front. "Notify Kerch. Tell him, Plan B was a success. We have got ourselves a clone."

Steele struggled to not slip into unconsciousness. He suddenly remembered something Wolffe shouted to him before falling.

_"Locator! Your locator!"_

Right. He still had his locator on him. These people forgot to erase their security recordings. Chances are, they won't search him for a locator either. At least not until he arrived at wherever they're taking him to.

Steele strained himself to reach for his locator without being noticed by his two captors. He successfully turned it on before blacking out.

~ O O O ~

Wolffe mentally rehearsed what he was going to say to Aliyah for about the 100th time. The ruins of their base came into sight. And he and the Bad Batch soon landed.

Plo, Aliyah, and a couple other clones greeted them upon landing. As soon as they all stepped out. Aliyah asked the dreaded question.

"Where's Steele?"

Wolffe reluctantly said what he rehearsed. "Place was deserted. Separatists left behind some commandos to stop us from pursuing them. And during our escape, we met with some…complications." He prepared himself for this part. "He got captured."

Aliyah froze in place. Overhearing 304th clones stopped what they were doing. They erupted.

"It's a bad joke. Tell me it's a bad joke!"

"How did this happen?"

"I cannot believe this! Why? Just—why?"

Above all the shouting, Aliyah suddenly turned around and walked down to the communications tent at at rapid pace. Kal was already inside. She called out to him.

"Kal! Turn the map on and conduct a search of the adjacent worlds."

Kal however, was more concerned by the tone of urgency in his general's voice. "What's going on?"

"Steele's been captured."

"WHAT!?"

"His locator might still be on, so do a search of the area! Now!"

"Yeah yeah, ok!"

Kal turned the map on and focused on the immediate adjacent worlds. No signal detected. Aliyah zoomed the radius out a little, her fingers trembling.

A pulsing signal appeared over one of the planets on the map. Steele's signal.

Both Aliyah and Kal huffed in relief. Plo entered the tent. Wolffe and the batch followed behind.

"We found his location." Aliyah pointed at the signal on the map. "Now comes the hard part."

"Aliyah…first, you need to clear your head," Plo advised.

"I'm _not_ leaving him behind."

"I didn't say that. I'm just saying that you need to consider our current situation. If this were any other mission, I'd be helping you put together his rescue. But this isn't."

"So what your saying is: focus on the datachip first, then on his rescue."

"I'm saying whatever option we go with, we risk jeopardizing the other one. We can't do both at the same time."

"Actually, we might!" Tech suddenly said. He was examining the map. "The planet where the commander's signal is coming from, isn't too far from us. And from what we found out at the deserted facility, the Separatists returned to their previous base and they don't have a lot of mobility left. This signalled planet could very well be where their base is."

Everyone couldn't believe it. They had just taken two birds with one stone.

"You're certain?" Plo asked Tech.

"Absolutely. Senator Kushi said so himself in a security recording, they don't have a lot of ship fuel to waste. It'd be contradictory if they took the commander elsewhere instead of their current base of operations."

"Then we can launch our attack," Plo concluded. "Retrieve the datachip, subdue Kushi and his allies, and rescue Steele."

"We'd need to do it fast," Wolffe quickly added. "I don't know why they took Steele alive, but if it's for something sinister or related to the datachip, it won't end well for any of us."

Aliyah pushed all thoughts of interrogation chairs and torture out of her mind. She needed to clear her head.

"'Liyah. We need to see how many of our men are able-bodied by now. And work—"

"—work on our plan of attack, I know." Aliyah finished. She repeated softly, "I know…"

Crosshair nudged Hunter, hoping he'd get what he want to say—but can't due to his jaw. Hunter didn't need to be nudged. He was already going to say what Crosshair was hoping for.

"Let us be the ones to rescue him, general," Hunter said to Aliyah. "It's the least we can do."

Aliyah looked at him and the batch unblinkingly. They were sincere.

"If your success rate is truly what's stated in the records, I trust you'll bring him back to me."

Hunter nodded. "We will."

~ O O O ~

Just like Tech said, the ship carrying Steele really did take him to the Separatists' base of operations.

The second they landed, the pilot, Senator Fonti, and a couple of guards dragged a still heavily drugged Steele out. They presented him to the line of Separatists before them. Kushi included.

"Here is the clone we captured, Kerch," Fonti said.

The guards held Steele on his knees and made him look up at the politicians before him. Some of them made a few comments.

"Look at the armour."

"He's definitely highly-ranked. Wonder how much we can get out of him."

"Hey hey, shut up. I think he can hear us."

That was both true and false. Steele could hear garbles of their talking. But he could definitely make out the image of Senator Kerch Kushi standing before him. Mastermind of this whole datachip fiasco.

Kushi bent down towards Steele and removed one of his gloves and armguard. He rolled up his sleeve enough to expose his wrist, then hovered an identifier over it. The results spilled before his eyes.

"CC-3484. Commander of the 304th," Kushi read aloud.

Everyone became ecstatic upon hearing that. They just made a huge catch.

Kushi removed Steele's helmet and was about to reach for his goggles when Steele instinctively jerked back. The guards violently retaliated but Kushi told them to stop.

"It's fine, it's fine!" Kushi insisted as he stood up. "Take him inside and remove his gear. But don't touch his goggles. The man's suffered enough as it is."

"Yes, sir." The guards replied.

They administered another dose of the same drug Fonti gave Steele earlier. Then dragged him away.

~ O O O ~

The response to the news of discovering the Separatist's final hideout and Steele's capture was strong. Neither Plo nor Aliyah saw so many wounded men insist they're 'fine'.

Everyone was working hard to prepare for departure off this planet and their upcoming invasion/rescue. Compass was helping with loading some equipment onto the ships.

Suddenly someone took the top crate off of the crates two he was carrying.

"Huh?" He was surprised to see Crosshair holding the crate.

"Oh, you don't need to do that," Compass insisted.

But Crosshair shook his head. That surprised Compass, so he let him follow him to the ship. "How's your jaw? Still can't speak?"

"I can speak. Just hurts a bit," Crosshair managed.

"Wow, that's fast recovery."

They walked in silence for a while. Then Crosshair spoke again. "I take back what I said after the ambush."

"Oh, what's with the change of heart?" Compass asked.

"Just realized that not having a filter ain't an excuse—ow."

"That's not true!" Wrecker entered the scene. "He's just shaken that your commander still saved his butt after jeering him last night."

"Oh really?" Compass inquired as he passed the crate to the ship loaders.

"Yep. I speak on Crosshair's behalf while his jaw continues to heal."

"I'm gonna shoot you over and over again…" Crosshair painfully said as he gave away his crate as well.

Compass snickered at the comment before turning serious. "All jokes aside, you're telling me that Steele saved your butt, and then consequently wound up captured?"

Crosshair nodded only once.

Compass sighed. He stared hard at the two clones. "You're gonna rescue him?"

"Yeah. We're gonna rescue him during the attack." Wrecker confirmed. "Your general agreed to it."

"Well you'd better." Compass crossed his arms. "'Cause that's her treasured one you're retrieving."

"'Treasured one?'" Wrecker and Crosshair repeated.

"Compass!" Dogma approached him from behind. "You can't go around telling folks outside our legion our nicknames!"

"Why not?" Compass challenged. "I told Commander Wolffe about it and nothing happened."

"You told him about it!? How do you know he didn't tell anyone else about it!?"

"'Cause brothers look out for each other?"

Dogma pinched the bridge of his nose. "You are unbelievable. I don't understand how you survived so long."

"General Korentayer refuses to let me die."

Wrecker runs off to tell Hunter of this newest revelation.

~ O O O ~

After an entire day of stripping the base down to its bare essentials and loading up the ships, the clones finally retired for the night, as reluctant as some of them were.

Aliyah stood over the map, reviewing the planet of the renegade Separatists' base. Just like her men, she was reluctant to sleep. But her stubbornness was sky-high severe.

"General, seriously." Wolffe appeared next to her, clearly tired. "We're flying out early tomorrow. You need sleep."

"I will."

"That's what you said 20 minutes ago."

"That's what you told yourself 20 minutes ago. Yet here we are. Still awake."

Wolffe sighed. It was true. Neither of them could erase Steele's predicament from their heads. Wolffe still felt some responsibility for that. "I'm sorry for not holding onto him tighter."

"I don't blame you."

"Look…if you turn off the map, I'll go to sleep."

"If you give me 2 more minutes, I'll go to sleep."

" _Both_ of you need to sleep." Plo suddenly boomed. "No more excuses. Wolffe, I could very well order you to get some shut-eye but I trust you'll make that wise decision on your own."

That was enough for Wolffe to let up. "Fine. Guess I'll be the role model again."

Aliyah silently chortled at that throwback to her Padawan days, when the 3 of them went through similar dilemmas. But things became depressing again as soon as Wolffe left.

Plo turned the map off for Aliyah. "You too."

Before Aliyah could say something, Plo cut her off. "I understand how you feel. I felt similar fear during my experience with the _Malevolence_. It hurts, being powerless to protect those under your leadership."

"Have you ever lost Wolffe like this?"

Plo slowly shook his head. "I can't say I have."

That added to Aliyah's distress. She put both hands on the table to steady herself. "I have _never_ lost him like this before. _Ne-ver._ "

Plo was grateful he was assigned here with her, and not some other…less understanding Jedi. One who'd probably be giving her a lecture about attachment and clouded judgement and all that stuff right about now.

"It's time to rest. Come on," Plo insisted. He turned around and walked out.

Reluctantly, Aliyah followed. It's not like she could doing anything fruitful right now. Not until they fly out tomorrow at least.

"Sleep it is, I guess."

~ O O O ~

Steele finally woke after what felt like hours. Stripped of his armour. Arms, legs, and torso cuffed to a chair. The effects of the drug had worn off enough for him to see Kushi standing across the dimly-lit room.

"Hey…Senator…" Steele struggled to speak. Kushi glanced at the black-clad clone. "...why'd you leave the CIS?"

"I didn't like the way Dooku led us," Kushi's voice was hard and clear. "I didn't like the way he did things either. That man seemed like he was intentionally letting the Republic win."

Steele was surprised to hear that. This entire time, he assumed the Republic had the upper hand because of the Jedi. Kushi paced around.

"At first, I tried to talk to him, reason with him. But he just shut me down with the threat of death. That's when I knew I had to get out. The Confederacy was no longer what I envisioned it to be. So I gathered everyone who shared my views and we left to fight the Republic our own way."

"By stealing confidential Republic info."

Kushi nodded and poured himself a drink. "Best way to bring down a corrupted government is by revealing their secrets to their own people."

"So why haven't you yet?"

"We need a strong foundation. No one would believe a couple of renegade Separatists, you know that. However it's difficult establishing that foundation while being on the run. But now…"

Kushi walked towards Steele. Steele kept his composure.

"...now we might not need a foundation after all. You will be our solid evidence. Just imagine: the faces of the Republic citizens _and_ the Jedi, when they see a clone commit mindless mutiny."

Steele's mind turned to shambles.

"What are you gonna do to me?" His voice shook.

"Nothing yet. We're still missing a couple key players for our demonstration. Don't feel too bad though, commander. It's not like the Republic will miss you."

"You say that as if it'd bother me."

"Oh?" Kushi looked confused. "It doesn't bother you that you're nothing but a means to an end? Don't tell me you think it's honourable to die for a deceitful government like the Republic. Or that the Jedi are truly your allies."

Steele took his time in answering. "I believe in what I've been through. That's all."

"Then I must commend you for your strength," Kushi praised. "It must not be easy, remaining loyal after serving someone like Pong Krell. Yes, I know about you and him. It's become common knowledge after the infamous Umbara operation, and I have to say, it's disgusting how nobody did a thing to help you or your men during his time of 'leadership' over you."

Steele looked at Kushi in disbelief. But Kushi paid no mind.

"That's just how the Republic and Jedi are these days. Arrogant pricks who lay the rules hard on everyone but themselves. After all, they let Krell get away with his abuse, while letting the clone who killed him almost get sentenced to death."

The drug was wearing off even more. To the point where Steele was able to see and hear Kushi as he normally would.

"Hypocrites: the lot of them! And yet, here you are. Still fighting for them. And serving yet another Jedi general."

"And why do you think I'm doing that?" Steele challenged.

Kushi was taken aback by how clear his voice sounded. The drug was wearing off even more. With every decrease in its effect, causing an increase in Steele's emotions.

"Huh? Why, Senator? If everyone's as corrupt as you say, then I would've _killed_ myself the day Krell was finally removed…"

Kushi looked at Steele with a mix of pity and indifference. It was clear to him that he struck a sensitive chord in this clone. Given by the subtle shaking in Steele's restrained body.

"You believe all Jedi are hypocrites. You think I'm blindly serving another general. But maybe you'd think differently if you were actually there at that time! Someone _was_ there for us! During that time, with Krell…she was afraid of him too…she was only recently Knighted, her authority was incomparable to his…but still…despite that…she was the one who freed us from his leadership!"

Kushi hardened his voice. "Jedi like Korentayer are a minority."

"Jedi like Krell are the minority! It's thanks to her I was finally able to see that!"

Kushi's eyes filled with alarm upon seeing the rattling of Steele's restraints. "My goodness! Calm down!"

"Every time we step into battle…"

"Calm down, or I'll have you sedated!"

"...I make sure she comes out alive—!"

Steele suddenly went quiet. The weight of the words he just said, hit him hard on the head.

The room became dead-silent, much to Kushi's relief. He recomposed himself and looked down at Steele, now sitting like a limp statue in his chair.

"You 'make sure she comes out alive?' What is this? Something she made you do in exchange for getting rid of Krell?"

 _No. Something that I promised to her, in exchange for saving my life._ Steele mentally answered.

"Hey, I said 'calm down' not 'shut up,'" Kushi reminded him.

_But now, it's more than that. I don't need to think twice anymore when it comes to her well-being._

Kushi rubbed his forehead and sighed due to the lack of response. "Do you actually think that the Jedi and the so-called people of the Republic, care for you? Don't tell me you're this ignorant."

Steele didn't answer. He continued to sit in silence. Lost in the pits of his mind.

_How'd this happen? How did keeping you safe become second-nature to me? We're work-partners. Once this war is over, we'll probably never see each other again. And I don't want that._

Kushi's voice penetrated through Steele's thoughts. "If push comes to shove, they won't hesitate to throw you aside. It doesn't matter how strongly you feel for them, they'll never truly value you."

_If it made you smile, I'd do it a thousand times over. You saved me from Krell. You saved me from my self-doubt. You give me so much reason to live. Such acts that define you so radiantly get discouraged by the leading figures of our pledged entities._

"You'll see what I mean, if you make it to the end of this war."

A memory of a question Hunter asked from the previous night, came back to Steele. " _Tell me, commander. What do you want out of this war?"_

Steele felt his eyes almost well-up. A fragmented thought from the depths of his subconscious, pieced itself together.

 _I love you. I love you_ _ **so**_ _damn much…and I don't want to ever stop. Even once this war's over._

Kushi watched in intrigue as the clone commander lifted his head. Eager to hear what he was going to say after staying quiet for so long.

"I'm an idiot."

_**Next time on the Clone's Hero, the 2 battalions and the Bad Batch prepare to storm the hideout…** _


	37. Calm before the blow (Clone Force 99 pt7)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N. Happy almost back to school, everyone. Are most of you taking online courses? Anyone taking the in-person option (if it exists for you)?
> 
> There are two more parts for this arc, then I will be going on hiatus until the upcoming winter break. :(
> 
> Just an FYI, Kerch Kushi and a lot of the named Separatist Senators in this arc ARE present in the tv show. However, not much is shown of them after the two-episode arc featuring Padme trying to achieve a peaceful resolution to the war. So I took the liberty of fleshing them out more in this fanfic. :)
> 
> Anyways, please remember to bookmark, kudo, and leave a comment!
> 
> See you all next time! :)
> 
> \- MiraLake

**Calm before the blow (Clone Force 99 pt7)**

_**Things are most quiet, before chaos strikes** _

The clone forces tore down what remained of their base and packed up at early dawn. They immediately boarded the ships and flew out to the planet where the thieves are currently located.

The journey didn't take long. It was quiet and dark when they landed at their destination. Everyone worked in silent efficiency as they took out the necessary equipment, arms, and temporary setup.

After a week and a half and a couple more quarrelsome days, they finally reached this stage of the hunt-and-retrieval.

Plo and Aliyah got the holomap set up. They, Wolffe, and the batch gathered around it, determining the exact location of the Separatist base, which Hunter managed to pinpoint within a minute.

The sky began to brighten when Aliyah finally began to feel somewhat at ease.

~ O O O ~

Kushi left the interrogation room in irritation. He couldn't get another word out of Steele all night. And as much as he'd like for a two-person conversation, he didn't have the heart to resort to more _extreme methods_ on a clone who's been on the receiving end of Krell's fists.

"Kerch!" Senator Voe Atell and By Bluss walked up to him with a small company of their underlings. "You've been in there all night. Anything new?"

Kushi shook his head. "I'm not interrogating him for the whereabouts of his forces. We were just having a conversation. That's all."

Atell walked beside him. "Why?"

"He's a victim in this. They all are."

"Say that when they're barging in through our front door, holding us at blaster point." Atell scowled. "It's easy to sympathize with them when they're locked up and restrained at the moment. But remember this: they're engineered to be undeniably loyal to the Republic—to anyone associated with the Republic. No questions asked."

But Kushi was skeptical. "Then explain to me why after I spent an entire monologue challenging his life's purpose and insulting the people he fights for, he responds with this: 'I'm an idiot.'"

Bluss and Atell were stunned for a moment. Then the former quickly answered, "Why, Kerch. I think you broke him."

Atell made a tiny smirk. "It was only a matter of time. Maybe if we were to release him now, he'd turn on his own general without any interference from us. Wouldn't that be extremely convenient?"

"I'm not taking chances here, Voe," Kushi reprimanded harshly. "We're going to do this safe, and we're going to do this right."

~ O O O ~

The three Senators kept talking until they entered a restricted area, causing their following company to split up. They went to work in their respective locations. Most went to their offices to update their current status.

The remaining two went out to the hangar for fresh air. There, they talked about the conversation the three Senators just had.

"Do you think Kushi really broke that clone?"

"Not really. I mean, think about it. He already doesn't think very highly of the side he's fighting for, Krell made sure of that. Why would he break after Kushi brought to light what he already knows? He must've called himself an idiot for other reasons."

"Huh. What other reasons would he have?"

"I dunno. I'm ain't a Kaminoan doctor."

Suddenly the lights in the hangar went out. The two of them jumped in alarm, but then quickly realized it was only a local power outage.

The underling who initiated the conversation smirked at his colleague. "Well, Mr. 'I'm ain't a Kaminoan doctor', please do the work you do specialize in."

With that, the first underling went back into the building. The second one shook his head as he walked across the hangar towards its opened gateway. The local power box was located a couple steps outside the base.

"'Please do the work you do specialize in,'" he muttered to himself. "Hmph. This kind of work is beneath my qualifications."

He stepped out of the hangar and approached the power box. The box was forced open with a couple of loose fuses hanging out. Odd, but easily fixable.

A few seconds later, the lights came back on. The man sighed in relief.

"There, all done—MMPH!"

A gloved hand covered his mouth, muffling his screams. The hand belonged to Wrecker. He held the man tightly while Crosshair swiftly bound, gagged, and blindfolded him.

Tech put the power box back in mint condition. As if they never tampered with it in the first place.

"Coast is clear!" Hunter whisper-shouted. "Let's go!"

Wrecker picked up their freshly-caught captive and the four clones ran out of the area, heading back to base-camp.

~ O O O ~

Fonti entered Steele's interrogation room with a tray of food. A minute later, she walked back out and made her way down to the meeting room where she is due to attend.

Kushi and all the allied renegade Separatists were there, along with a few of their most trusted assistants. They needed to talk about their next moves.

"We've got ourselves a clone!" Bluss began. "Now we just need a Jedi, and someone with the authority to trigger the protocol!"

"Why specifically someone with authority?" One of the assistants asked.

"Yeah." Atell agreed. "Shouldn't it work if any one of us said it?"

"Again, I'm not taking chances." Kushi reiterated. "If one of us were to say the order and the clone doesn't execute it, then it would be all for nothing. Besides, I'm very sure it has to be someone with authority—someone like the Chancellor—who can trigger it. This protocol would be too dangerous if it's accessible by anyone with basic literacy."

All the heads in the room nodded. Once again, Kushi made sense to them. Just he did when convincing them to leave the CIS and join him.

"Fine, moving on from person of authority. How are we supposed to get a Jedi?" Atell asked.

"She's right, Kerch," Fonti stated. "Masters and Knights are either too dangerous or will cost us a fortune in hiring an able mercenary. And if you're suggesting we take a Youngling, you can count me out of this."

Kushi looked at her. Then at the rest of the people in the room. "A few days ago, we thought 'this was it' after our listening branch in the resort got raided. We thought it was the end of all of this. Now, we have a clone commander in our custody." He gave everyone assuring glances. "Maybe opportunity will present itself to us again."

He stood up, causing everyone to stand up as well. "For now, let's focus on what we have now: our captive clone. Voe, By, go to him in the interrogation room and see if he knows anything regarding ingrained protocols."

"Yes, Kerch." Atell replied.

"The rest of you, start looking into a potential person of authority. Once we have a target, we'll figure out how to obtain them. Then we'll worry about getting a Jedi."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Kushi was glad to see that. "Sooner or later, the entire galaxy will see just how true this 'democracy' is. Alright, dismissed!"

~ O O O ~

The clones back at base were more than prepared for when the batch returned. They had the interrogation tent and all other necessary equipment set up.

Plo, Aliyah, and a couple of their men awaited them inside their designated tent. The batch entered with their captive.

Wrecker set the still-struggling man down and Dogma and Compass got to work with untying him and strapping him to a bolted-down chair. As soon as they were done, they removed his gag and blindfold.

"Kriff you bastards!" The man spat as soon as the pieces of cloth were removed from his eyes and mouth. "Kriff you! I ain't a Separatist alright?"

"Then what are you?" Plo demanded as he took a seat at a small table in front of the man.

"I'm an _engineer_. I reprogram the droids, that's all I do for them!"

"So you do work for them."

"Yeah? Why does that matter?"

"You know the layout of their current headquarters." Plo placed both hands on the table in a delicate manner. "You're going to describe it to me in extreme detail."

"As if."

"Please collaborate with us while we still have patience."

The engineer just shook his head while laughing. He seethed at Plo. "Senator Kushi was right. You Jedi have become a band of hypocrites. Using an army of preprogrammed sentient beings to fight for the greed of a corrupted government."

Everyone in the tent felt the temperature drop a couple degrees down. Just as Plo was about to proceed to the next step of his interrogation plan, his commlink went off.

Slowly, he raised his arm to answer the call. "Wolffe?"

"General, we've scaled the clifftop and are currently evaluating it for advantages. I think it's best if you stay on-call with us so we can paint you a clear picture of the entire setting."

Plo sent Wolffe and a squad of his men to scale the cliff the Separatist's building was pressed up against. To see if it could be of use to them for their invasion.

"Alright. Give me a moment." Plo stood up from the table and turned around. "Aliyah, you're in charge of this now. Remember: keep control."

"I will." She nodded genuinely.

Sensing traces of tranquillity in her tone, Plo walked out of the tent to continue his call with Wolffe. As soon as he was gone, Aliyah took his seat at the table in front of the tied-up engineer.

"Dogma, is the holo-recorder on?" She asked.

"On and ready, general," Dogma answered.

"Good." Aliyah the rest of the troopers next to him. "Everyone, take out your datapad. Write down everything he says and I mean everything." She turned to the batch members. "You guys too, grab a datapad from the table over there."

The four of them did as told. Soon enough, everything was ready. The recorder was recording and the clones were a touch away from their screens.

Aliyah commenced interrogation, via the Force.

"You _will_ tell me what you know about their hideout.."

"I…will tell you what I know about their hideout…"

The clones began typing away.

~ O O O ~

"When I say 'contingency orders,' does it ring a bell at all?" Bluss asked Steele.

He, Atell, and a couple of guards stood in the interrogation room, trying to pry something useful out of Steele. The clone wasn't giving them the silent treatment, but he wasn't giving them helpful answers either.

"No," Steele replied in a monotone voice.

"Really? What about your training years? Tell me about what you've went through, maybe there was a moment when you were subjected to a bunch of orders you needed to memorize without a reason why."

"You seem pretty interested in my training years…" Steele remarked. "And no, there was never _a moment_ when I subjected to a bunch of orders which required me to memorize without a reason why. _Every moment_ in my training years required me to do just that. If you want to know whether or not I've been exposed to what you call 'contingency orders', you're gonna have to be more specific."

Seeing that he wasn't going anywhere with this questioning, Bluss let Atell takeover, which she was more than happy to.

Atell signalled for one of the guards to come up. Without warning, she had the guard strike Steele in the abdomen with his staff. That caused Steele to double forward and gag loudly.

Bluss winced at the sight of that. "Voe…Kerch will not approve of this—"

"Think back to your training years. And this time, think _harder_ ," Atell demanded, ignoring Bluss's comment.

"I don't recall anything about contingency orders…" Steele coughed.

"Perhaps this will help you remember."

Atell had the guard strike Steele again. And again. And again. But it didn't jog any memory in his head. Nor did it put him in immense pain. Because unfortunately for them, Krell already set the pain-inflicting bar to unreachable heights.

~ O O O ~

"We're sending another image right now, general. You should be able to see it in a moment," Wolffe spoke to Plo via comm.

Just as said, Sinker successfully sent a holoimage of the anterior cliffside which led down to the building top. Another angle of several images taken before.

"Got it," Plo's voice confirmed from the other end.

"How's the overall diagram coming along?" Wolffe asked.

"More or less finished. Will you be willing to get a few more sideview angles?"

"Yes, of course."

"Thank you." Plo pulled up the unfinished design layout of the clifftop base view. Made from the images and descriptions Wolffe and his men had sent him. "Keep observing, I'll be right back."

Plo muted the call for now and walked out of the tent. He proceeded across camp towards the interrogation tent where Aliyah and the captive engineer was.

Inside the interrogation tent, Aliyah was still holding the engineer in Force-control. "Have you encountered anyone from the CIS yet? Such as Separatist Council Heads, Grievous, or even Dooku himself?"

"No…we left Raxus in a hurry, so that's all we worried about in the first few days: evading those from the CIS who wanted us dead. Then after we got hold of the advantageous information and copied it to a datachip that we were on the run from the Republic as well…"

Everyone in the tent wrote that down. By now, they had pages upon pages of info from this man. This session of questioning so far was very productive, but they were far from finished.

Nonetheless, Aliyah decided it was almost time to take a break. She just wanted to ask one more question.

"The clone you captured about a day ago…how is he?"

Everyone in the tent paused their typing upon hearing her ask that. They too, wanted to know the state of their captured friend and commander. The engineer spoke.

"Alive. Unharmed for now. Kushi has…certain uses for him…"

Hearing that put all of them slightly at ease, though it scared them thinking about what 'uses' the engineer was talking about. But still, Aliyah stuck by her decision and concluded this session.

"Alright, let's stop for now. Put him to sleep."

Dogma put down his datapad to get the tranquilizer needle and then applied it to the engineer's arm. It took effect almost immediately. Compass paused the recording. Everyone else prepared their notes for addition to the planning table.

"Out of curiosity, general," Tech asked Aliyah. "Why can't you keep this going until we get everything we need, perhaps more?"

"Keep this going without rest, and his mind might turn into mashed pudding," Aliyah explained. Traces of fatigue were present in her voice. "Besides. It's mentally exhausting for me too."

The entrance to the tent flapped open and Plo walked in. "Aliyah, go speak with Wolffe, he'll catch you up on the clifftop developments. I'll take over the next session."

"Yes, Plo."

Aliyah walked out of the tent and Plo went up to the company of notetakers, eager to learn what they've written so far. They were eager to share.

~ O O O ~

Fonti and the remaining Separatists, excluding Kushi, Bluss, and Atell, were evaluating on a potential candidate that could trigger the desired protocol.

"So we have Mas Amedda, Senator Burtoni, and the entire legislative branch that concerns itself in the war effort," Fonti summarized to the entire table. "Chancellor Palpatine is a guarantee, but it's also a guarantee that we'll be caught or killed trying to get him."

"Forget about the Chancellor," Kushi suddenly entered the room.

Everyone looked at him in confusion. Kushi explained himself.

"I bet our remaining ship fuel that he's somewhat in league with Count Dooku. Subtly playing out both sides of this war for his own benefit."

"It does seem that way," one of the assistants agreed.

The door opened again, this time, Atell and Bluss entered. Kushi looked at them expectantly, needing to know what they got out of their captive clone.

"Well?"

"It appears that he's completely unaware of any emergency protocol," Bluss answered.

"Huh."

"That or, he has an extremely high tolerance for pain," Atell added.

That made Kushi's head snap up. "I thought I told you to not use excessive methods!"

"He's a soldier of the Republic, how many of us has he or his copies killed? Victim or not, do you think he'll spare you if you put a blaster in his hands again?"

"Ok, ok!" Kushi held up a hand, not wanting to argue. " _I'll_ talk to him. The rest of you, help out with the current issue we're facing here."

"What current issue?" Fonti asked.

"Apparently, the guards reported that chief engineer, Keemon Tille, is missing," Kushi explained, his tone uncertain. "We're currently searching the base and camera feeds for him, but it seems like he just…vanished."

~ O O O ~

At the base camp, several clones gathered around the holotable. The interrogation with the engineer was over, Wolffe and his team has returned, and the layout of the renegade Separatists' hideout was finished. So now, they were being briefed on their plan of invasion.

"From what we've gathered from the engineer, there aren't many escape exits in this building," Plo explained while pointing at the diagram. "There's the front entrance, the back side exits, and the hangar. What we're going to do, is try and trap them in the middle. Aliyah and her forces will attack from the front. I will go in from the back with some of you, we'll drop down from the clifftop and cut our own entrance through the roof. Once we got everyone subdued, we'll demand where the datachip is."

"What of our commander?" Vito demanded.

"Don't worry. He's alive and well," Aliyah answered, much to Vito's and several other's relief. "That's what our captive says and that's what I want to believe. Anyways, don't concern yourself with his rescue, Clone Force 99 will take care of that."

"That's right." Hunter revealed a map on his datapad. "Mr. Engineer man was so generous to have drawn us a route directly to him."

Everyone was amazed by that. Plo quickly called for their attention again.

"We need to make sure we get ALL the involved Separatists. Because more than likely, a lucky few will manage to evade us and attempt to escape via the hangar."

Aliyah looked directly at Kal. "Kal, I'm putting you in control of the hangar. Make sure no one tries to fly away."

"Yes, general."

They were nearing the end of the briefing. Plo recalled something Senator Amidala asked of him and Aliyah a day ago. "One more thing, everyone. Unless absolutely necessary. Please refrain from using lethal fire on the Separatist Senators."

Though a little confused at first—since it was heavily implied in the overview that the Republic wants these thieves annihilated—the clones complied. They trust that Plo knew what he was doing.

"Alright. Let's wrap this up."

Plo ended the meeting. Everyone left to prepare and gear up for the upcoming attack.

~ O O O ~

"I must apologize for Voe's earlier treatment. She was a strong follower of Dooku and even sided against the peace-initiative during its discussion. Initially, she believed that his involvement with Mina Bonteri's death was Republic gossip until I convinced her otherwise. I guess she's still not over that harsh truth," Kushi said to Steele.

The latter wasn't moved much by the apology. "Then why's she taking it out on me?"

"Unfortunately the saying 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend' isn't something she believes in."

"It's not something you believe in either."

Kushi nodded. "No. You're right, it's not."

He leaned back against the wall adjacent to Steele's chair. He wondered what was going on inside the clone's mind right now.

"You really don't know anything about contingency orders, do you?"

Steele didn't answer his question. Instead, he asked another one. "Is that what's held inside in the information you stole?"

"Perhaps."

"Well, it's driving the Chancellor nuts."

"Good."

"Where are you keeping it?"

"—I'm the one asking questions here."

"Right…Sorry."

Kushi backed off from the wall. "Be honest with me. If we're caught by your forces, how likely will we be spared?"

Steele paused for a moment, thinking.

"More likely than being spared by General Grievous. Less likely if you decide to go down the route of no cooperation. Either way, it really depends on what you decide to do if they ever arrive."

That answer didn't sit well with Kushi. It added to an ever-growing sense of dread that's been building since the minute he learned of their missing engineer. Perhaps it was this feeling of doom that made him ask this next question.

"What's your name?"

"Steele."

"Well, Steele…I'm sorry you were born into this war."

Steele looked at Kushi without a single trace of hostility or regret and replied, "I'm not."

Kushi couldn't believe what he heard. Has this clone found new purpose in his life other than the one dictated for him at birth?

Suddenly, the alarms went off. Outside, screaming and shouting we're coming from all directions. And droids were sent out to deal with the invaders.

The attack has begun.

_**Next time on The Clone's Hero, the clone forces storm the hideout, bringing about a (hopefully) swift conclusion to this unnecessarily drawn-out mission...** _


	38. Storming the base (Clone Force 99 pt8)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N. Welcome to the penultimate chapter of this arc. Next chapter will be the last and will mark the beginning of my hiatus until winter break.
> 
> Man the way schools are being conducted this year is confusing! Took a look at my younger sibling's schedules and it was a mess. Thankfully, my university isn't being overly-complicated! XD Also, I decided to make Grievous slightly more competent in here than he is portrayed in the show, to highlight his determination in the getting the datachip (which many of you suspect contains stuff about Order 66; and you're right).
> 
> Also want to apologize if the quality's fallen a little. I returned from my cottage a few days ago and since then, I had to deal with all sorts of before-the-semester activities. Ranging from purchasing additional course material to paying my fall semester tuition, and all the issues in between.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you'll bookmark, kudo, and comment if you enjoyed!
> 
> See you all next time! :)
> 
> \- MiraLake

**Storming the base (Clone Force 99 pt8)**

_**There are many shades of grey** _

The invasion was commencing as planned. Aliyah and a large fraction of her forces were going in from the front entrance, pushing back any retaliation they encounter.

Plo, Wolffe, and several of their men leapt down from the clifftop onto the roof. They cut their way into the building and stopped anyone from attempting to use the backside exits, forcing them to flee towards the front.

Kal and the remaining troopers ran to the location of the hangar. They immediately seized control of it and prepared for anyone else who would attempt to escape from here.

The Bad Batch entered through the front with Aliyah and eventually got the point where they needed to split up, according to the route drawn to them by their captive engineer.

"We'll go down from here and get to the interrogation room," Hunter said to Aliyah. "If the commander's still in there, we should be back before you have this whole place subdued."

"If he's there…" Aliyah repeated ominously while deflecting another bolt.

"Don't worry too much, general. We'll get your 'treasured one' back one way or the other."

"Yeah you'd better—wait! Who told you about that?"

"See you in a bit!" Hunter said before running down the hall with the rest of his squad.

A somewhat speechless Aliyah was left to continue pushing back the retaliating forces with her troopers. From the corner of her ear, she could hear Dogma telling Compass in between blaster shots, "Think she'll refuse to let you die this time?"

"Heh. Ask me again once the battle's won. If I'm still alive, you know your answer."

~ O O O ~

All over the hideout, people were running around in panic. Droids and guards were deployed to handle the Republic invaders, but it only slowed down the inevitable. A few Separatist Senators met up together in their scurry to escape to safety.

"How did this happen?" One asked.

"I'd like to know too!" Another added.

"That clone we captured! Think he somehow brought them here?"

"How could he? He was tied up this whole time!"

"Ugh! Someone just call Kerch already and ask him what to do!" Atell demanded.

Nodding in agreement, one of the assistants took out their commlink and attempted to contact Kushi.

Seconds later, Kushi answered. "Hello?"

"Senator Kushi, we—"

Atell took over the commlink. "—Where are you right now, Kerch? We're under attack!"

"I'm well aware of that."

"So what are you doing right now? Don't tell me you're abandoning us!"

"Not abandoning. Just doing what I need to for the sake of democracy."

"Kerch!"

"Don't do anything you'll regret. Chances are the Jedi leading this attack will more than likely take you all in alive. Or so that's what our captive clone commander says."

"You really believe him—!?"

"—If you value your life more than our cause, then feel free to take that chance. I'm willing to put _my_ life on the line."

Kushi hung up.

~ O O O ~

Inside the interrogation room, Steele was sitting patiently. Quietly. A single guard stood in the middle of the room, watching Steele with intent eyes. He was called in by Kushi the second after the alarms went off.

Kushi ran off without saying where he was going as soon as the guard came. And since then, neither he nor Steele spoke a word to each other.

The sound of the attack going on outside was made more obvious thanks to their silence.

Eventually, all the blasters and screaming going off got to the guard. He changed his no-mood stare at Steele, to a hate-filled glare.

"I know you did this, clone."

"I've been in here this entire time."

"I'm not stupid."

"No, you're not. But you will be if you refuse my recommendation of getting outta here right about now."

"Now you're the one who sounds stupi—"

The guard suddenly fell down to the floor, stunned unconscious. Crosshair's rifle barely peeked out from the scarcely opened door of the interrogation room. The door opened wide soon after and the entire batch entered.

"Looks like you're still alive and well, commander," Hunter remarked as he walked up to Steele, still strapped to the chair. "Give us a sec, we'll get you uncuffed from this. Tech, search the guard for a key or something!"

"Yes, Sarge!"

"Thank you," Steele appreciated. "I'll be honest, I wasn't quite expecting you lot to come for me."

"Yeah well. I more or less caused this to happen," Crosshair muttered while trying to look for a lock mechanism on Steele's cuffs.

"So you forgive me for almost breaking your jaw?"

"I _almost_ forgive you, for _almost_ breaking my jaw."

That was good enough for Steele. Tech returned with a keycard. Hunter and Crosshair discover a single lock on each cuff that held Steele's appendage—arms, legs, and then his torso.

One by one, they unlocked his cuffs, and before long, Steele was out of the chair. Finally back on his feet. He stretched like he never had before.

Once he was done, Hunter decided it was time to head out. "Let's head back to the generals. We'll search for your gear later."

"Hold on. Let's not yet," Steele said.

"What?"

"I highly doubt Senator Kushi is out in the main halls right now. The generals will be able to subdue everyone but him."

"They'll find him soon enough."

"Not in time," Steele insisted. "He values his doctrines more than his life, more than his allies…they won't find him in time."

Hunter cocked his head. "So what are you suggesting? We find him?"

"Yes. If he's not going to be out in the main building. There's only so many places he could be."

"The restricted area!" Wrecker shouted. "It was part of the route the engineer drew for us. We're literally right outside of it!"

"Then that's where he should be. And that's probably where the datachip is as well," Steele predicted. "If we find him before everyone else does, I think I can talk some reason into him."

"Wait wait wait! You're not armed or armoured! Is this even wise?" Hunter challenged.

Steele picked up the stunned guard's blaster pistol. He nodded to the exit. "I'm armed now. You can be my armour. And this is wise. Unless you want to take the chance of Kushi getting away with the datachip again."

Hunter thought back to the previous hideout they explored. And how quick the Separatists were in abandoning the place the second they realized they've been caught. Did he really want a repeat with only Kushi escaping with the datachip this time?

"Alright. Let's go find that son of a bantha."

~ O O O ~

Out in the halls of the building, panic was at its maximum. Despite what Kushi said, Atell and several others still assumed the worst from the Republic invaders.

"This way! Hurry!" The guard accompanying them yelled.

But then he was promptly shot by a clone from Aliyah's forces. Atell and her company immediately rushed in the other direction upon sight of the incoming wave.

They went down the hall and were met with more confusion and chaos. It seemed that there was no safe place to run to now.

Out near the hangar, a couple of underlings, assistants, and a Separatist Senator managed to run out of the brawl-filled hallway. They wanted out of here badly.

"Are you sure we shouldn't go back for the others?" One underling asked.

"I feel bad too! But I can't save everyone!" The Senator shouted as they entered the hangar. And were immediately met with a sea of blasters pointing at them.

"On your knees!" Kal demanded the Senator at blaster-point. He shakily did as told. Along with everyone he was with.

Atell and her company met up with Fonti and Bluss, who were being guarded by a couple of droids. But they weren't in any better shape than her. They had lost a lot of their protection and underlings in their struggle to reach here.

"There's an exit in the back." One of the droids announced. "Let us go there—"

The droid was cut down by Plo. He and his clones came up in front of the Senators and their company. Turning around, the Senators could see Aliyah and her clones pull up from behind.

They were subdued.

"On your knees," Plo demanded in a hard voice.

Having no other choice, Atell, Bluss, Fonti, and everyone they were with, went down on their knees. And held their hands up.

"Bind them!" Wolffe ordered.

Clones who held the restraining equipment immediately went up the kneeling lot.

~ O O O ~

In the restricted area of the building, the batch and Steele navigated the halls carefully. Trying to find Kushi before he escapes with the datachip, or worse.

Luckily for them, there weren't a lot of hostilities in this area. So they were able to move around a lot quicker and smoother than in the main halls of the building. But they weren't able to find anything remotely lead-worthy yet.

"Think: if you were a Separatist on the run from both the Republic and the people you once sided with, were would you hide something like the datachip?" Hunter asked to everyone.

"In a place of high security," Tech answered. "A place of advanced calibre…"

"A place like that?" Wrecker pointed at something around the corner.

The clones rushed around to see what he was pointing at. It was a large bunker door with a passcode lock.

"Yes, exactly like that!" Steele praised as he and the batch walked up to it.

Tech got to work on unlocking the door. As usual, it took less than a minute. The door opened and the clones rushed inside.

Inside, they were greeted with the sight of Kerch Kushi, holding the datachip in one hand and a detonator in the other. He had his back turned to them, prepared to leave the bunker out of a dark hall shaft, but immediately jolted upon hearing the clones enter.

Kushi turned around, fear and determination written in his eyes. He clenched the detonator. "This bunker is rigged to explode the second I press this button. I suggest you all back out right now, and no one needs to get hurt."

Steele carefully chose his words. "You didn't treat me horribly during my stay here, Senator. And for that, I'm forever grateful, but we won't back out. Not we have the datachip."

Kushi hardened his stare at them. Squeezing the detonator in his hand dangerously tight.

"I've got a clear shot, commander. I can take him," Crosshair offered.

"I WILL blow up this room!" Kushi shouted in response to that. "You think I'm bluffing? You're fools to think that."

Steele had Crosshair and the entire batch lower their weapons. He faced Kushi once again. "It doesn't have to be like this, Senator. Remember what I said earlier about the chances of being spared?"

"I make my own chances," Kushi swiftly retorted. "And the only chance I care about is the chance for the galaxy to have an actual future. One that isn't governed by lies and deceit or fear and blood."

"So what you're saying is Chancellor Palpatine isn't just your enemy, he's straight-up evil," Hunter suggested.

"He IS evil!" Kushi pressed. "He may hide behind his dozens of personas and rake up tens of millions of supporters but that won't erase the fact he will plunge this galaxy into its doom!"

None of the clones could truly accept what Kushi was saying. Sure Palpatine was mysterious and morally-questionable at times, but evil? Evil sounded too far. He had yet to do anything that warranted _that_ level of description.

"You say you don't want 'fear and blood' but you don't seem to mind letting me 'commit mindless mutiny' just to demonstrate some point!" Steele argued.

"Sometimes sacrifices must be made for the greater good." Kushi held the detonator up as it was trailing out of sight from the clones.

"Senator, please." Steele slowly inched towards him. "Just handover the datachip and yourself, make it easier for all of us."

"You really believe the Republic will not chew me up and spit me out, as they do to any 'war criminal?'"

"I believe what I've been through. Pretty sure I already told you that."

Kushi exhaled in irritation. He wanted to leave. He didn't want to blow them up. They won't let him leave. He hated this situation he was in right now.

~ O O O ~

It didn't take long for all the members of the Republic information heist—with the exception of Kushi—to be handcuffed and separated in different groups to be watched over. The group consisting only Separatist Senators were brought before Plo and Aliyah for questioning.

"I'm going to ask this once and only once," Plo said as he walked across the line of kneeling Separatists. "Where is the datachip? And where is Senator Kerch Kushi?"

"I have a better question for you, Master Jedi," Atell spat. "Where is Chief Engineer Keemon Tille? Were you the ones who kidnapped him this morning?"

"We were. And he is alive and well. We'll bring him back once we got what we came for," Plo promised.

"And then what?" Bluss asked. A disturbing look crossed his face. "You're going to hand us over to the Republic are you not? You know as well as us what they're going to do. Why not kill just us now?"

Aliyah sucked in a breath. She was tired of all this beating around the bush. "Tell us where the datachip is. Now."

But still, none of the Senators dared to speak. After a long moment, Plo shook his head in reluctance. "Must we always do this the unethical way?"

He had the clones take all the Senators except for Bluss away. Kneeling down in front of him, Plo exerted Force influence over him.

"You will tell me where you keep the datachip…"

Bluss opened his mouth to speak. "I will tell you…where we keep the datachip…"

~ O O O ~

"Come with us, Senator. There is still _some_ good left, in the Republic," Steele urged.

Kushi squeezed his eyes shut, his detonator shaking in his hand. "The things I do for democracy…" He finally gave in, and took a step towards Steele. "Alright…I'll come with UGH—!"

A brightly-coloured lightsaber suddenly jutted through Kushi's chest. He fell forward into Steele's arms, dead. The datachip clattered onto the floor.

Standing in the doorway Kushi was originally going to use for escape, was the leader of the CIS droid army, General Grievous. He held the brightly-coloured lightsaber that just ended the former CIS Senator's life.

"You weren't easy to track, Senator Kushi," Grievous spoke to the dead body. He looked up to the shocked clones before him. "Guess I should my owe my thanks to you, for doing most of the hard work for me…"

He suddenly began eyeing the ground for the datachip. At the same time, Steele's eyes landed on the very same object of desire. That didn't go unnoticed by the batch.

"Get down commander!" Wrecker shouted before immediately opening fire at Grievous, giving Steele a split-second window to grab the datachip and roll away to safety.

The rain of blaster bolts didn't keep Grievous back for long, who attempted to make a lunge at the clones. But suddenly, the lights went out. Tech had managed to hack into the power system of this room.

The clones quickly pulled down their night-vision goggles as the emergency lights came on and Steele turned on the built-in night-vision function in his own goggles.

Crosshair immediately made a shot at Grievous. It knocked one of his lightsabers out of his grip. He did it again and knocked another one of Grievous' lightsabers out of his cyborg hands.

Before he could attempt to pick up his dropped weapons, Wrecker opened fire on him again. This time with the intent of keeping him immobile while the rest of them slowly backed out of the room and into the hallway they came from.

As soon as they closed the door and ran to a safe distance away from the bunker, Steele handed Wrecker something. It was Kushi's detonator.

"Make it quick," he said.

Wrecker immediately took the detonator from Steele and pressed the button. The bunker blew up. The clones waited for a while to hear if there was any activity coming from inside. There were none.

"Alright let's go," Hunter decided.

He turned around to take the first step down the hall. And was struck in the head by a piece of debris, nearly knocking him to the ground.

"Sergeant!" They all shouted.

Behind them, Grievous crawled out of a lightsaber-cut hole from the bunker's door. He had managed to take refuge in the hall shaft he came from during the explosion. And then cut himself a way through the ruins get to the clones.

"No more tricks!" The half-cyborg general coughed as he attempted to seize Steele for the datachip.

But suddenly, he pushed back into the wall by the Force. He was then met with an attempted lightsaber strike by none other than Plo.

Bluss had revealed the location of the datachip to him and Aliyah a couple minutes ago and they raced down here to retrieve it. But didn't expect to see this situation.

Plo and Grievous immediately engage in combat. Down the hall, Aliyah recuperated from her recent Force-push to save her commander, and quickly jumped into the fray. It was now two against one.

The battle between the three lightsaber-wielders slowly brought them out of the restricted zone and back into the main area of the building, where several surviving clones awaited them.

After making several attempts to cut either Plo or Aliyah off-guard, Grievous realized he wouldn't be able to emerge victoriously. Not with Plo's constant dealing of incredibly heavy blows and Aliyah's ability to always keep both him and herself well-guarded.

Grievous attempted to escape through one hall.

"Blast it!" Wolffe suddenly shouted.

The hall Grievous attempted to escape through burst into flames and ruin. Courtesy of several rocket-launcher-holding clones.

He attempted to escape down another hall, but Wolffe had the clones blast at that exit as well. Groaning in frustration, Grievous kept attempting escape. And the clones and two Jedi kept attempting to stop him.

Until he finally managed to leap through an opening in the side of the building's exterior wall. He disappeared outside. Livid at the fact he had to leave the datachip behind. Well, at least he managed to kill Kushi. That was priority number one on Count Dooku's list.

Back inside the building, the two Jedi retracted their lightsabers, and practically sighed in relief. Along with all of their troopers behind them.

Finally, it was over.

From the hall to the restricted zone, the batch walked out, one by one. Steele was helping hold a highly-disoriented Hunter upright.

The second he transferred the injured sergeant to the hands of the medics, he was immediately assaulted by a gang of his own men. They all embraced him tightly as if he came back from the dead.

"COMMANDER!" Compass cried, squeezing him. "YOU'RE ALIVE!"

"We thought we'd never see you again!"

"Where's your gear?"

"Did they torture you?"

"DID YOU MISS ME?" Compass asked. "Tell me you missed me!"

Steele mumbled something that was barely audible.

"What?"

"You're suffocating him!" Dogma pulled Compass back. Egad pulled everyone else. They all gave him a quick breather before hugging him again—this time gently and one at a time.

They still asked him a million questions a minute though.

"What were the Separatists like?"

"Were you able to learn anything about the contents of the datachip?"

"Why are you being so quiet?"

"Yeah! Tell us something!"

"Well, what do you wanna know?" Steele asked.

"I'd like to know this!" Aliyah walked up to him and his entire company of embracers. "What the hell happened to 'I sure as hell ain't gonna risk my life for one of them?'"

She pointed at Crosshair to validate her point. Steele instantly drew a blank.

"Yeah! What the hell happened to that, Steele?" Wolffe backed up, crossing his arms. "Do you have any idea how many hours of sleep we had, that night you were captured? Go on, take a guess!"

"Four?" Steele guessed.

"Five!" Wolffe corrected.

"Three," Aliyah said.

"What?" Wolffe looked at her.

"What?" She asked back.

"Actually, it was six…and a half," Plo confirmed. "I don't know how either of you got a 'five' or a 'three' for an answer."

Steele subtly smiled in response to the interaction just now. "I'm touched to be so cared for." Aliyah came into his line of sight again and a memory from the other night resurfaced. _Probably more than I should…_

Eventually, Plo decided to end this brief moment of happiness. "Alright, everyone. Time to refocus. We need to inform the Chancellor of this so he may deal with the thieves."

All clones immediately returned to work.

_**Next time on The Clone's Hero, things are finally wrapped up at the hideout. Arrests are made, farewells are said, and new developments occur…** _


	39. New Developments (Clone Force 99 pt9)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N. So yesterday, I decided to clean out my Google Drive by deleting any files and folders I no longer needed. By accident, I put this chapter's doc file in the trash as well. And being the sleep-deprived idiot I was yesterday, I didn't bother double-checking the trash before deleting everything in there forever.
> 
> What happened next: I went into my Clone Force 99 arc folder and retrieve the chapter 9 doc to post it. But it wasn't there. I typed it in the search bar, it didn't show up. Then I pieced the puzzle together and realized I must've deleted it. Forever. *Insert facepalm.
> 
> What happened after that: I immediately opened up a new doc and spent all day yesterday, most of last night, and most of this morning, and partially this afternoon, retyping THE ENTIRE F****** CHAPTER before my memory completely left me. And this is the result. (I may revise it once I remember how most of the original chapter went)
> 
> And that's happened. Sorry guys. (Also, I know it's a bit of a stretch putting the events of this right before the Temple bombing, but I simply felt it'd be appropriate since Palpatine may receiving a lot of inquiries about how conservative he was regarding the datachip.)
> 
> And we have reached the end of yet another arc. Thank you everyone who made it thus far with me! I'm eternally grateful to you and your support!
> 
> Now that a new school year has started for many of us, I must also return to my studies and put aside writing for awhile. I will come back with the next arc once winter break rolls around. So please, wait patiently for me in the meantime. And don't forget to bookmark, kudo, or comment (especially if you have questions or haven't commented before). I will do my best to reply as soon as I can this time.
> 
> *Virtual hugs to everyone!
> 
> See you all next time! :)
> 
> \- MiraLake

**New developments (Clone Force 99 pt9)**

_**Goals, morals, and feelings change. It's how you respond to them that matters** _

It didn't take long after contacting the Chancellor of the datachip's retrieval and the thieves' capture that he sent the appropriate forces to Plo and Aliyah's location. Appropriate forces being mostly consisting of Senate Guards.

They immediately took over custody of the Separatist Senators and everyone involved with them—including their kidnapped chief engineer, just as Plo promised. Then began sitting down to interrogate the two Jedi, the clone officers of each division, and the entirety of Clone Force 99. One by one.

"Do you really, solemnly, on your life, swear that you have absolutely no knowledge, or even the slightest implication, of what lies inside the datachip?" A Senate Guard asked Hunter.

"Yes." Hunter plainly replied.

The guard checked the results of the truth-analysis device he had Hunter strapped up to. He was in the honest threshold.

"You're clear. Next!"

Hunter was removed from the vital sign readers that ran up his arm and the headset that took data from his eye movements. He immediately rejoined the rest of his companions, who were sitting the still gearless Steele.

"How did it go?" Wrecker asked.

"Not too bad. Since I've got literally nothing to hide, unfortunately."

"'Unfortunately?'" Steele repeated. "They practically grilled me alive in there."

"Yeah well. That's because you were in close proximity to the renegades. Especially the mastermind." Hunter reasoned. "But still, it wasn't like you've got anything to hide either. Otherwise those Senate Guards would've immediately locked you up and flew you back to Coruscant."

Steele had an uncomfortable look on his face. "Well, actually…I only barely made the honest threshold back there."

He handed over a datapad to Hunter, who took it with confusion. "What's this?"

"Just some stuff Kushi and the others told me during my 'hospitable' stay under their roof. Make a copy of it as soon as you can and keep it just within you guys."

"Tech!"

"I got it." Tech took the datapad from Hunter's hand and immediately proceeded to do the copying process.

Hunter looked back at Steele in amused gratitude. "Y'know, when I implied that I wanted to know what was inside the datachip. I didn't expect you to actually believe it."

"Rather share what I know with the ones who might be able to do something about it. Than the ones who'll only try to hide and deny it," Steele explained.

"Thank you," Hunter meant it.

"No problem."

A brief moment of silence passed where Steele debated whether or not to ask this question. "Have any of you guys ever heard of 'contingency orders?' Most likely during your training years?"

"Contingency orders…contingency orders…" Hunter turned to his two free subordinates. "Guys?"

"No. Do I look like I know?" Wrecker and Crosshair respectively said.

"Sorry, not really ringing a bell," Hunter concluded. "But maybe it'll come clear, after a little digging around."

"Well then. I wish you all the best of luck."

"You should really be wishing us luck in writing our report of this entire event before leaving for good," Hunter said.

~ O O O ~

The Senate Guards continued to interrogate as the cleanup of the base camp and Separatist hideout was taking place. The remains of Senator Kerch Kushi were taken out of the destroyed bunker. And Steele's gear was still being searched for.

All the while, Plo was amidst a slight argument with the Head Senate Guard who stood outside their communication tent.

"I'm sorry, general. I cannot let you answer this call."

But Plo was insistent. "This is my camp. That is my transceiver. I will decide whether to answer or not."

"The Chancellor—"

"—should be pleased with the safe retrieval of the stolen Republic information."

"Has given me direct orders to—"

"—your direct orders, which are now being given to you by me. Is to allow me to answer that impending urgent call inside."

Grunting in frustration at the fact the Chancellor is not currently here, the Head Guard let Plo into the tent. Plo walked up to the holo-transceiver and answered the call.

The hologram of Master Yoda appeared before him.

"At last, have reached you, Master Plo Koon." The elder Jedi Master had a foreboding tone in his voice.

"Master Yoda, what is going on?"

"Forgive me, you must. Complications there were, surrounding communication with you as of late."

"Why is that?"

"On Coruscant, a dire event has happened. Request the presence of the entire Council, we need. However, insisted on the completion of your mission first, the Chancellor demanded."

"What is this dire event?" Plo demanded.

"Bombed the Jedi Temple, someone has."

For the first time since this war began, Plo could honestly say he was horrified.

~ O O O ~

Steele was examining the contents of a crate a few troopers brought to him. It was his gear. They finally found it.

"Where'd you find it?" He asked.

"Bottom of the disposal chute. You don't wanna know the details," one of the troopers said morbidly.

Steele got the gist of it. "I'm sure I don't. Thanks. Really."

"It's not exactly in top shape right now, but I'm sure it'll be fixed once we return to HQ."

"Well, I guess it's still gearless for me then," he sighed. "At least the fighting's over. Put it on the ship for now."

"Yes, sir."

The group who brought the crate put the lid back on and picked it up to carry to their ship. Steele leaned back against the table behind him, relieved that his gear has been found and is somewhat intact.

"Steele." Aliyah suddenly walked up to him. To Steele's relief, Wolffe was next to her. The conversation won't be one-on-one. He nodded at them in acknowledgement.

"General. Wolffe."

"Your interrogation's over right?" Aliyah asked.

"Yeah."

"So what kinda questions did they ask you?" Wolffe inquired.

"Mainly about my capture. They wanted to know if I was told anything that was even remotely related to the contents of the datachip," Steele explained.

"You didn't, right?"

"…Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. Either way, they let me go in the end."

Aliyah nodded and smiled. "Well, at least this will soon be over and we can finally get a break. A well-deserved one if I must say."

Before Steele could agree, Plo suddenly came up from behind. An urgent tone echoed in the way he walked up to them.

"Wolffe, gather the men immediately, we need to return to Coruscant," Plo ordered.

"Some of them are still in the middle of interrogations," Wolffe said. "I'm not sure if the Senate Guards will let them leave."

"What's going on?" Aliyah asked.

Plo turned to her. "Master Yoda just called. Apparently, there's been a bombing at the Jedi Temple."

Aliyah's face went through a phase of expressions. From shock, to denial, to being downright disturbed.

"Have they found the culprit?" She managed to ask.

"Not yet. The Council, including myself, has decided to assign Anakin Skywalker and Padawan Ahsoka Tano to investigate."

"Why?"

"They weren't present during the bombing. Master Yoda believes they can be trusted."

"You weren't present either."

"Jedi weren't the only casualty in the bombing. A few clones and civilian workers were killed as well, making this an external issue," Plo explained. "Apparently there's been rumours flying about that a Jedi was behind this heinous act, so having a member of the Council lead the investigation will look biased in the public's eye."

Aliyah understood but was no less disturbed. "I see."

"Uh, is this a bad time to hand in our report?" Hunter suddenly appeared before the two Jedi. The rest of the batch stood a few feet behind. They weren't oblivious to the distressful mood surrounding this space.

"Not at all. Thank you," Aliyah took the report from him before turning back to Plo. "You head back to Coruscant immediately, I'll take care of the rest of the cleanup."

"You're leaving for Coruscant so soon, sir?" Hunter asked Plo.

"State of emergency. You'll hear about it soon enough." Plo looked to the entire lot. "It was an interesting experience working with all of you, I'm sure we'll meet again in the future. Wolffe, let's go."

"Yes, sir. Steele, take care of yourself. General Korentayer, it was nice working with you again. And for you…" Wolffe paused at the batch. Hunter latter gave him an expectant look. "…you live up to your success rate, I can give you that. If only numbers could tell me everything."

"Wow. That was actually nice," Hunter remarked.

"That was sincere," Wolffe said before leaving with Plo. They had a lot of rounding up to do.

Hunter turned to Aliyah and Steele. "Unless you have anything else required of us, we'll be taking our leave as well."

"You all completed your interrogations, right?" Aliyah made sure.

"Yes, we did."

"Then there's nothing else." She gave them all a grateful look. "Thank you. Thank you."

"No problem, general." He turned to Steele behind her. They shared a mutual nod.

"Be careful with your next steps," Steele said. Knowing that Hunter would understand what he meant.

"Will do. Thanks again. And good luck to you as well." Hunter hoped Steele knew what he meant.

The rest of the batch said their farewells and they all left. One mission done. A lot of questions unanswered. Contingency orders. That was a start at least.

~ O O O ~

Over at the area where individual Separatist Senators were being examined—or rather scrutinied—several of them were expressing mourn over the death of Kushi.

Steele took notice of that in the distance. He couldn't but feel some pity towards them. And guilty towards himself. "I tried to get him to come with us."

"Was that why you and 99's didn't immediately regroup with us?" Aliyah asked. She sent a copy of her summary report thus far to the Republic's military database backlog.

He turned around and nodded. "Grievous would've killed him and escaped with the datachip by the time you and General Plo showed up. And then we'd be never hearing the end of it once we return to Coruscant and all's solved over the Temple bombing."

"Fair enough." Aliyah turned off the table computer so she can give more focused attention. "So. Since we've both already been questioned by the Senate Guards, I think it's safe for you to tell me what exactly happened during your capture."

"What would you like to know first?"

"Did Kushi harm you?"

"No. He never laid a hand on—"

"—I mean mentally," Aliyah corrected.

That caused Steele to nearly lose all his words. The first night of interrogation with Kushi came back, clear as a picture to him. He pushed it away.

"No. No. He didn't." Steele paused for a brief moment. "He was actually…a rather respectable politician if I'm being honest. Compared to the majority of the ones I've met thus far from our own government."

"Yeah, he was one of the supporters of the Confederate-Republic peace initiative."

"He wanted a peaceful resolution…" Steele couldn't believe it. "I guess Count Dooku really drove him up a wall."

Aliyah could see that despite everything, Steele didn't bear animosity towards Kushi. "War drives everyone up a wall. Everything's always so complicated. Loyalties and moralities are constantly being put on the questioning block, nothing is clear. And we're not allowed to ask for clarification."

She leaned forward on the tabletop to let everything digest. Then looked back at Steele. Her expression lightened. "I'm really glad you're back."

Once again, the first night of interrogation attempted to come back. But this time, Steele didn't push it away. He agreed with her.

"It's good to be back. It really is."

Kushi's allies may believe it. The people who'll read this mission's report may believe it. And Steele will make sure they believe it: that Kushi broke him during the first night of interrogation.

But unfortunately, the chief engineer was right. He called himself an idiot for other reasons.

_I love you. It's never my intention to cause worry for you. I'm not delusional, I know it'll be nothing but trouble if I choose the honest route. And I sure as hell ain't gonna give Krell the chance to rise up from his Umbaran grave just to tell me, 'I told you. I told you she'd be nothing but trouble.'_

Aliyah was suddenly called over by two Senate Guards. She walked out of the tent and up to them to answer whatever questions they had. Steele stayed right where he was.

_But still…if I can keep you alive 'til the very end, that's good enough for me. I'll be happy with just that._

"Commander! There's been an issue concerning a tent, a game of 'who can dismantle it faster,' and a nearby Senate Guard," Kal announced.

Steele immediately followed him to resolve this issue that he already has a good idea of who's the culprit. Just as he began walking away, Aliyah glanced at him while the two guards were busy conversing with themselves.

Her thoughts and feelings didn't deceive her.

_I have over 99 problems since this war began, and you might be the biggest one of them all. Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing…I guess…I guess I'll just have to wait and see. But either way, I'm not going to lose you again. Krell, Kushi…they're all close calls. I can't let third time be the charm. I won't be able to handle it._

~ O O O ~

_A little while later…_

Palpatine was sitting in his office when he was finally delivered the retrieved datachip by his Head Senate Guard. The box containing it was gently put on his desk before him.

"The datachip that contains an illegitimate copy of classified Republic knowledge, Your Excellency."

"Thank you." Palpatine sat forward a bit more. "And all of the participating soldiers? Have they been thoroughly questioned?"

"Yes, Your Excellency."

"Including the commander who was briefly detained by the renegades of the Confederacy?"

"He was interrogated most scrupulously. And bore no…purely dishonest results."

"I see." Palpatine sat back. "Thank you again."

The guard bowed his head in respect. Then walked out of the office. Palpatine took the box and put it away in his desk. He would have the datachip properly examined and then erased later.

For now, he needed to make sure there weren't any potential leaks of knowledge.

Kerch Kushi was dead, according to Count Dooku. The rest of his allies won't last long once their trials begin. Though Palpatine would've liked it a lot more had the two Jedi leading the mission just killed them on sight.

"Jedi and their morals…" he muttered to himself.

He was somewhat grateful for the fact the Temple was recently bombed. At least that took everyone's attention away from this datachip heist.

Let the Jedi be distracted by this controversial act of terrorism and let the people give them a hard time during it.

Anything that'll keep them away from finding out about the 150 Contingency Orders. More specifically Contingency Order number 66.

_**End of Clone Force 99 arc. The Clone's Hero will be back for Investigating Fives's Death arc.** _


	40. Shock, Grief, Closure (Investigating Fives's Death pt1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello and welcome back, my lovelies! I'm back, just as promised. It has been a rollercoaster of a semester these past 4 months. And while I'm tempted to rant about my experiences, I won't delay this chapter any further. Enjoy. :)

**Shock, Grief, Closure (Investigating Fives's Death pt1)**

**_It's always more difficult for the ones left behind_ **

There were many things of wonder in this galaxy. Like why are there such a vast majority of planets? How does the Senate always suck at decision-making? What kind of shampoo does the Chancellor use?

And what kind of food poisoning would cause you to be stuck in the washroom for the past 20 minutes!?

Or so Compass thought.

"21 minutes now," Compass grumbled under his breath.

Clones and Kaminoans passed to and fro, all too busy to notice the fact the occupied light for this private restroom has been on for the past 21 minutes or so. If it wasn't for Compass and a plateful of 2-day-old-bread that caused a must-use-nearest-toilet-to-me emergency, that fact would've still gone unnoticed.

Tick. Another minute passed by.

"Alright, this is ridiculous!" Compass got up from leaning against the pristine wall and walked across the hall towards the restroom door. He pounded loudly against it. "Hello? Hello, you doing ok in there, buddy? You've been in there for pretty long. Should I call a doctor? Hello?"

But there was no answer.

Just when Compass was ready to leave and get a doctor, another person of authority turned the corner. It was Shaak Ti.

Compass quickly went up to her. "General! General Shaak Ti!"

The Togruta Jedi Master stopped in her tracks and turned to Compass politely. "What is it, soldier?"

"Ok, so. Um. I'm not sure if this qualifies as an 'emergency' per se, but well…um… _sigh_." Compass pointed to the restroom door behind him. "Whoever's in there has been in there for the past _22_ minutes. _Twenty_. _Two_. Minutes. And well, I'm a little concerned about whatever's going on in there. Actually, I'm very concerned about whatever's going on in there."

Shaak Ti looked at Compass. Then at the closed restroom door. She pondered for a second. "Hmm."

Curious about this situation, Shaak Ti walked up to the private restroom. She knocked on the door. "Hello? Anyone in there?"

"Yeah, I already tried that," Compass said as Shaak Ti leaned closer towards the door. "I don't think that'll work…"

Suddenly, a feeling of dread erupted inside of Shaak Ti and her eyes went wide. In an instant, she flung the restroom door down with a single push of the Force. Compass—and everyone who was present in the hallway—couldn't believe what they just saw.

"General Shaak Ti, what are you—"

His shock immediately died out. And was replaced by another shock of even greater calibre, by what he saw on the other side: Dogma. Sprawled and unconscious on the pristine white washroom floor.

"DOGMA!"

~ O O O ~

Steele was tired. The past few days have been nothing but a pain for him. Well for him and every single leading officer of the entire army. Ever since the recent mess of events involving two clones from the 501st, all officers were tasked to keep a watchful eye over the activities of their men.

But truth be told, Steele didn't feel the need to survey his men 24/7 over something that's gotten the upper echelon of the Senate so paranoid. He trusted his men to stay out of trouble.

So he spent the past few days tidying up his legion's records instead. And that was something he never wanted to do again.

 _I have a newfound respect for bookkeepers now_ , Steele thought as he walked down the halls.

"Commander!"

Steele looked up to see Shaak Ti walking up towards him, a troubled expression was on her face. He nodded in greeting. "General Shaak Ti."

"You need to go to the infirmary this instant," Shaak Ti said.

That got Steele's attention. "Why? What happened?"

"It's Dogma." Shaak Ti paused for a second to build a clear and concise explanation. "One of your men, Compass, and I found him unconscious on the restroom floor earlier this morning."

"What?"

"He's awake now. Just in questionable condition," Shaak Ti said to reassure the troubled commander. "Apparently, he hasn't been properly eating or drinking for the last couple of days."

"I—don't understand," Steele stammered.

"Neither do I." A grim look crossed Shaak Ti's face. "What bothers me most of all is the implication that he's been doing this to himself."

Hearing that made Steele feel sick. He didn't the idea one of his men was purposefully harming themself. And under his supervision no less.

"You need to go speak with him," Shaak Ti said.

"Of course," Steele strongly answered while nodding. "Thank you, general. For informing me about this."

Shaak Ti gave him a sympathetic look before ending the conversation and walking away, leaving Steele in a distressed muddle of thoughts.

_How could this have happened?_

But it has already happened. Clearing his head as best as he could, Steele headed down towards the infirmary.

~ O O O ~

"CT-5140, you need to eat something," the Kaminoan doctor said.

But Dogma simply shook his head. He kept his gaze away from the tray of carefully selected food set before him on his bed. The way all the medical workers were speaking to him. It made him want to do anything but eat.

"You do realize that if you keep refusing to eat yourself, we will have no choice but to perform a gastrotomy on you," the doctor reminded. Her voice was strong but not cold. Still, it was enough to cause Dogma to shift uncomfortably.

Then, the door to the infirmary opened. And Steele entered. Both the doctor and Dogma were relieved upon seeing him.

"Finally. You must be his commander." The doctor gestured to Dogma sitting on the bed like a statue on the verge of collapse. "Tell him to eat something."

"Dogma, you do need to eat something," Steele repeated in a gentle but still firm tone.

"I'm not hungry." Dogma's voice was barely above a whisper.

Steele didn't say anything in response to that. Instead, he looked at the doctor. "If I may speak with my soldier in private? Just for a couple minutes?"

The doctor looked a little troubled at first. But she ultimately obliged. She left the infirmary, leaving the two men alone.

Steele pulled out a spare chair and took a seat next to Dogma's bed. At this proximity, he could see just how pale Dogma really was. It was terrifying.

"Why you're doing this to yourself?" He asked softly.

Dogma mumbled something indistinct.

"What?"

"Fives." Dogma repeated, at a slightly more audible volume. "The ARC-trooper from the 501st? The one from the recent 'incident?'" He paused, taking a deep breath. "He's dead. Shot by the Coruscant Guard commander."

Now Steele understood. He and everyone here at HQ heard about what happened with the two troopers from the 501st about a week ago. And amongst the two, was Fives. But he had no idea it had affected Dogma to this degree. Why didn't he notice it earlier?

Dogma swallowed hard before speaking again. "He's not the only one. Tup's dead too. Died of a brain tumour or so they say. He died just days before Fives."

Tup. The other unfortunate trooper from the 501st. The one who accidentally shot and killed Jedi General Tiplar with no explanation other than being mentally unstable.

"That's still no reason for you to starve yourself like this," Steele insisted. "You're not responsible for what happened to them."

But Dogma had a faraway look in his eyes. "Do you know what I did to them? Back on Umbara? I was going to report Fives and his accomplices for attempting to carry out a plan without Krell's knowledge, and I made Tup go with me. And after Krell had caught them and locked them up, I didn't hesitate in preparing a firing squad for their execution."

Images from what happened that day were as vivid as ever inside Dogma's mind. As if it only happened yesterday. He remembered it too well.

"…I didn't hesitate. And yet, they still came to my defense when I stood on trial for Krell's murder."

"They were good people, Dogma," Steele meant those words with every ounce of him. "I may not have known Tup as well as you did, but from what I've heard, he seemed like a sincere and honest soldier, truly. Fives, however, I did know him a little more. He made quite the impression during your court-martial and during the battle for Umbara. There's not many people I know who can stand up to Krell."

That made Dogma ease up a little. Steele could see that and kept going with what he was saying. "He was headstrong. And he was passionate when it came to defending what he believed was right."

Dogma turned his head to Steele, who scooted closer to him. "Dogma, they wouldn't want you hurting like this." Steele proceeded to pick up a spoon from the tray and then handed it over. "Please."

After a long while, Dogma finally accepted the spoon. He tentatively began eating. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing.

Still, Steele couldn't shake the guilt off himself. "I'm sorry for not noticing your state sooner."

"Don't blame yourself, this is my own fault. You can only have so many eyes," Dogma spoke in between eating.

From the look on his face, Steele could tell he was still lost in thought. "What are you thinking about?"

“How awful it must’ve been,” Dogma answered. “It’s horrible, having the entire galaxy against you, I know that firsthand. But at least I had supporters during my trial. Fives? I don’t think anyone was on his side up to his dying breath.”

“That’s because he was a traitor.” Another voice joined the conversation.

Steele and Dogma looked up to see Doctor Nala Se enter the room.

“Hey, do you mind?” Steele said in a tone that wasn’t asking.

"I'm afraid this private conversation can not go any further," Nala Se responded crisply. She turned to Dogma. "CT-5140, it's good to see you finally nourishing yourself again."

Dogma ignored her remark and redirected focus on what she said upon entering the infirmary. "Did you just call Fives a traitor?"

"Yes," Nala Se answered. "He betrayed the Republic, caused the death of his terminally ill comrade-at-arms, and inexplicably attacked the Chancellor."

"I don't believe you. He'd never turn traitor, I know he wouldn't!" Dogma shouted to the best of his strength.

"Believe me, or don't believe me. That is your choice. But I believe what I saw. I saw him assaulting the Chancellor. And that is the truth. You should not be mourning for this traitor."

"Traitor, or not, he was still his friend," Steele defended. "Having lost some of your own friends from this war, surely you can relate."

Nala Se shook her head. "I cannot. None of my colleagues turned on the Republic. But, I do understand the pain of losing those you work closely with. And for that, I will allow this one-time event to slip by. But you mustn't sympathize with the fate of ARC-Trooper-5555 again."

Dogma didn't answer. He just couldn't buy that story of Fives turning traitor. However, Steele could see Nala Se didn't care what they believed. She only wanted an answer from them.

And there was only one answer she wanted.

"Will do, doctor. Will do," Steele replied.

Nala Se was glad to hear that. "Good. I'll give you two a few more minutes. But then, you, commander, need to leave. I have to perform some examinations on him now that he's finally eating again."

With that, Nala Se left the infirmary. Dogma gapped at Steele. "You don't really mean what you said—"

"I don't. Don't worry," Steele reassured. "But right now, I'm more concerned about you. So, focus on eating, focus on healing. And absolutely nothing else. Alright?"

Dogma slowly nodded. "Alright."

~ O O O ~

It has been a good few days since the washroom incident. And Dogma has been making steady progress in healing. Steele has assigned Compass to be with him at all times just in case.

But still, he felt that wasn't enough to help Dogma out of his current state. He was still hurting and grieving for the loss of his former comrades and friends. And it certainly didn't help that Nala Se—and the majority of the Republic—claimed those two to be rogues.

So Steele decided to do something to try and ease Dogma's mind.

"Where is my card…? Ah, here it is."

Taking out his access card, Steele tapped it on the door sensor. The entrance to the records room opened and he stepped inside. It was a familiar sight, he's been here for the past week, sorting out his own legion's documentation and data, but this time, he's here for another legion's record.

Well, specifically for a certain member of another legion's record.

Walking up to the access computer, Steele prepared to enter today's password for reading records. "Ugh, why do they always feel the need to change the password every other day?"

"Maybe because security systems here suck."

Steele turned around in surprise. "Compass! You nearly gave me a heart attack. Wait, how are you in here?"

"Like I said, the security systems suck." Compass nodded towards the door they entered from. "I mean, what were the surveillance team thinking when they designed doors that stay opened for 10 whole seconds?"

"Huh. Fair enough. But aren't you supposed to be looking after Dogma?" Steele inquired as he turned back around to enter the computer password.

"Don't worry, I left him in the much more qualified care of Egad. Came to see what you're doing." Compass paced around. "So…what _are_ you doing?"

"Looking for a record." Steele pulled up the main search page of the database and began scrolling down to the index of the 501st Legion.

"Who's?"

"The late ARC-Trooper from the 501st. Dogma's old friend," Steele explained. He tapped on the index of the 501st, opening up a new search page. "I want to see if I can find anything that might bring Dogma the comfort he needs."

Compass tilted his head in curiosity. "Are you even allowed to do that?"

"Usually, no. But ever since the mess involving Dogma's late friends, all leading officers are given access to every single unit in this army. So that any officer from any unit can report any trooper of any suspicious activity."

Compass scoffed. "One trooper gets caught in a mess he has absolutely no control over, and now we're all subjected to 24/7 surveillance."

"Yeah, well. I don't make the rules. Only enforce them." Steele entered Fives's identification number into the search menu. The chronologically-ordered list of track records from all of Fives's years of service appeared before him.

Seeing that reminded Compass of something he just recently heard about relating to Fives. And it was something disturbing. "Y'know, there's been a rumour flying around that this 'Fives' guy turned against the Republic. Went rogue, assaulted the Chancellor, captured his own general and captain, just crazy stuff. Really crazy stuff."

"Mmhm, I heard. And so did Dogma," Steele paused. His mind turned to a bitter thought. "Ugh, Doctor Nala Se, she just—she just came in and said it right to his face. Right when he was still hurting so much."

Compass visibly winced. "Ouch."

"Yeah. That was the last thing he needed in that moment. What he needs now, is to heal. And not just physically heal."

"Can't agree any more," Compass nodded. "By the way, the general know about this?"

"No. And I don't plan on telling her anytime soon."

"Why not?"

"The Jedi are currently dealing with this whole situation their own way as of late. Plus, she…hasn't exactly been at her optimum since the Temple bombing incident," Steele said.

"Elaborate?"

"She's currently sleeping at Senator Chuchi's place every night. Got special permission from the Council, said that the Temple just didn't feel safe anymore."

"Oh, damn."

Steele expected that response. "Anyway. What I'm saying is, we should be able to resolve this on our own. No need to put more mental strain on her plate." Steele returned to scrolling the computer screen, looking for Fives's latest record file. "While I can't guarantee this will be what Dogma wants to see. At least it'll offer another version of all the tales we've been hearing."

"But you don't really believe any of that load, do you, sir?" Compass asked curiously.

"Hm?"

"You can't possibly believe that Fives is truly a Republic traitor. It's a bit too, what's the word for it…? Out of the blue."

Steele paused momentarily. He didn't want to believe Fives is a traitor for Dogma's sake. But still, this whole situation was absurd. There were still so many unknowns to him. He couldn't possibly give a concrete answer now.

"I believe that there's _a lot_ to be up for interpretation."

With that, Steele scrolled down the list to get to the most recently added item. The record from last week. When this whole fiasco occurred.

"Hopefully this can give Dogma at least some closure."

Selecting the file, Steele prepared himself a minute of waiting since the record would likely be very long and thus require a good 30 seconds or so before it was fully loaded. But to his surprise, it loaded very quickly.

But what was even more shocking to him were the actual contents of the record. It was nothing at all what Steele expected.

"What the—?"

"What? What's wrong?" Compass quickly went up to his commander.

"There's nothing here."

**_Next time on The Clone's Hero, Steele's attempt to find closure for Dogma causes both of them to start seeing something fishy behind the deaths of Fives and Tup…_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgive me if my writing seemed a little 'off' or unlike my previous chapters. After 4 months of data structures, algorithms, and coding, creative writing feels a tad bit foreign to me. Haha. 😅
> 
> My goodness, I can't believe it's been 4 months since I last updated this story! And I was so afraid it might be even longer before I came back. I know I said I'd return on Dec. 22, but the truth is: the only way for me to possibly continue writing was if I secured myself a co-op workterm for this upcoming winter semester—which I was pretty confident about at the start of my fall semester.
> 
> But due to COVID-19, job-seeking was harder than I thought. Application after application, interview after interview, I was faced with countless rejections. It was super disheartening, discouraging, and looking like I may have to extend my hiatus for way longer than planned.
> 
> But no worries. I managed to secure myself a position as a Full-Stack Developer for one of my university-based startups. 👌
> 
> So, as usual. I hope you kudo, bookmark, and comment if you enjoyed. And I look forward to continuing this story until it's complete! Merry early Christmas!
> 
> See you all next time! :)
> 
> \- MiraLake
> 
> PS. Sorry for not replying to any of your comments for the previous arc's last chapter! My semester picked up really fast and didn't leave me much time for anything else. I promise to reply to any comments from here on out.


	41. Something strange (Investigating Fives's Death pt2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas! Here's to hoping for a better year! 😊

**Something strange (Investigating Fives's Death pt2)**

_**There are 3 sides to every story, his side, their side, and what really happened** _

"What do you mean 'nothing here?' That's clearly something!" Compass pointed to the record's text onscreen.

"I mean there's nothing here that's different from what everyone's already talking about!" Steele explained.

It was true.

The most recent record of Fives—the one that dated his death—only took up a single page. There were a few paragraphs and log references here and there, but the main notion was clear as stone.

He broke protocol in an attempt to 'help' his severely mentally-unstable comrade. But began spiralling into instability himself. Eventually, he turned against all authorities, including the Chancellor, the Kaminoan medical workers, and even his own general, and went absolutely mad.

From the record, it was framed to make it seem like Fives was shot for the safety of his general and captain, both of whom he detained for a brief period of time in a Coruscant warehouse.

Compass looked at the record up and down, read it again, then attempted to go to the next page but there was none. He frowned. "Hm. Maybe you typed in the wrong number?"

Steele slowly and dramatically turned his head to him. A moment of silence passed by.

"His CT number is literally, 5-5-5-5. Tell me, how many different ways can you input a number like that?"

"Well…if every '5' is considered to be unique, and is allowed to repeat itself, then there are 4 to the power of 4 different permutations. So, 256 ways," Compass honestly answered.

"Right!" Steele feigned amusement. "And if they're not allowed to repeat, then there are 4 times 3 times 2 times 1 different ways. Which is—"

"—24 combinations in total," Compass finished.

"Right! You're genius!"

"Thanks, sir."

"…Compass, I'm going to kill you over and over again."

Compass began clearing his throat. All signs of humour left him. "Sorry, sir. It's just my way of coping whenever I said something extremely stupid. _Cough_. Sorry."

Steele let out a long sigh. He took another look at the record. Almost hoping that it would be different the second time around. But nothing changed. This record…it's almost as if 'good Doctor Nala Se' came in and wrote it herself.

But that couldn't have happened, right? Did Kaminoan doctors even have record creation and uploading rights? They didn't—unless it had to do with a medical emergency involving life-threatening conditions. But Fives's dilemma certainly didn't classify as a medical emergency.

Steele wasn't sure what to think of anymore. He looked at the screen again and clicked on the reference link at the bottom of the page that took him to Tup's most recently dated record. Selecting both Tup and Fives's record files, Steele placed his datapad in the data transfer port, and initiated the copying of both records over onto his datapad.

"C'mon." Steele spoke to Compass as soon as the process was over. He picked up his datapad and signed out of the computer. "Let's go find Dogma."

~ O O O ~

Dogma was grateful Egad was such a compliant friend and caretaker. He had absolutely no qualms accompanying him to find an old comrade of his from the 501st. Though, he was a little concerned on the matter of what he plans on discussing with this comrade of his.

"You say you're looking for an old friend from your previous legion?" Egad double-checked as they entered another area of HQ.

Dogma nodded. "Yes."

"Why exactly?"

Dogma chose his words carefully. "I need to talk to him about something."

As if on cue, the door to the mess hall opened, and out walked a former comrade-in-arms of Dogma's. It wasn't exactly the person Dogma wanted to speak to, but it was a good start.

Kix, a 501st medical officer, swiveled his head to the side and caught sight of his former legion member. "Dogma! Long time no see!"

"Same to you," Dogma replied.

The two embraced, then Kix took a better look at him. "How've you been?"

"I've been better, to be honest."

Kix looked concerned. "I'm sorry to hear. Why is that?"

"A story for another time. Right now, I need to speak with Captain Rex. Can you take me to him?" Dogma asked.

A wave of shock and confusion passed through Kix. He shook his head. "Rex isn't here. He and General Skywalker are under temporary detainment on Coruscant right now."

Dogma was in disbelief. "What?"

"They're being grilled on their involvement with the whole…Fives situation." Kix's voice got considerably softer towards the end of the sentence. "Them and all 501st members who were stationed there during that time. I was only released a few days ago."

"So you were there when this was all happening. Do you know exactly what happened?" Dogma carefully asked.

Kix nodded. "Yeah. There was a manhunt going on after Fives attacked the Chancellor—"

"—That's not possible."

"It's true," Kix whispered sharply. His expression turned anxious. "Look, I spoke to him just hours before his death. He said he needed to speak with General Skywalker and Captain Rex about something urgent. Now, I don't know what went down with the Chancellor, or with Tup, or with anyone of involvement, but I have _never_ seen Fives so scared before. So I arranged the meeting between him and the general and captain, hoping it'd help his situation. Obviously, it didn't."

Dogma felt a weight being pressed against his chest. Kix wasn't lying, so did that mean Fives did go rogue? What about Tup? "Do you know anything about what happened with Tup?"

"Other than what's been made public? No. But I have to say, the story of the brain tumour sure is hard to swallow without a proper diagnosis chart," Kix admitted.

"Dogma—" Egad began but was interrupted by Dogma.

"—So that story may be false. And that implies Fives's story may be false too. Who knows what else of the report may be is false—"

"—Dogma!" Egad repeated, louder this time. Dogma gave him his attention. Egad cooled down. "I know, they were your friends. But you're my friend too, and I don't want my friend to get into trouble, so I think it's best if we stop talking about this."

"But it can't be true: these accusations going around!" Dogma insisted.

"Actually, it might." Steele entered the area with Compass from the door adjacent to three clones. The trio looked to them and Steele handed Dogma his datapad containing the records of Fives and Tup. "Take a look at this and tell me what you think."

Dogma scanned the datapad. His eyes getting more and more wide the more he read. Steele waited until he was finished. "Well?"

"Something's wrong," Dogma answered. Sounding much quieter than before. "Something strange is going on with this situation and I can't be the only who thinks it. Commander?"

"What do you suspect?" Steele suggested.

"Forgery."

"Slavery…! Is a delicate topic to be discussing about, especially during these times," Egad suddenly announced. Though confused at first, the group realized he did this because of a Kaminoan worker who just passed by them. "Don't you guys think?"

"Oh, yes. Completely agree. Especially after the Kadavo incident," Kix played along. Before long, the Kaminoan walked out of hearing range.

Steele decided this wasn't a good place to converse. He looked to Dogma. "Perhaps we should talk somewhere else."

Dogma nodded. "Sure." He turned to Kix and gave him a grateful look and farewell nod. "Kix, it was good seeing you again. Sorry we couldn't have met under happier circumstances. Maybe next time, it'll be better."

He turned around to leave with Steele and co.

"Dogma!" Kix called out after him. A mild tone of warning was in his voice. "There's more to this than there is to the eye. But, just a word from the wise…be careful not to get too far. That's all."

Dogma appreciated that. Now, he knew he wasn't the only one suspecting something. "Thanks, old friend." Then he left the area.

~ O O O ~

Steele brought Dogma—and Compass and Egad since the former was so insistent on hearing more about this—to a private conference room near the storage section of headquarters. Here, it was safe for them to talk. Or at least he hoped so.

"'Forgery?' You said?" Steele double-checked while looking over the records again.

"Or foul play or something along those lines," Dogma added. "Look, I'm not sure, but this can't be right! I know Fives, he'd never attack the Chancellor like that! Not without good reason at least!"

Steele set his datapad down on the center table. "Well, here's the thing. Officers like myself only get editing rights to soldiers of our own division, same goes for the Jedi. And I highly doubt General Skywalker is the kind of person to write this kind of jargon. The only people who can freely create records for any soldier in this army are the Chancellor those he grants permission to. So, Dogma. Are you implying that someone of high authority is purposely reinventing this story?"

"Am I gonna get in trouble for saying what I want to say?" Dogma asked cautiously.

"Not yet," Steele answered.

"Wow. Real assuring, commander," Compass commented from the other side of the table.

Steele directed his sharp gaze onto Compass. He reached out to his datapad, carefully turning it on while keeping his eyes intact. "I don't usually go out of my way to do things like this. Bending rules, pushing the limits of my rights, questioning the integrity of our superiors. But _this_!"

He slid the datapad across the table towards Compass who swifty received it. On the screen of the tablet, was a highlighted portion of Tup's record. It was the part detailing the death of Jedi Master Tiplar at the hands of Tup.

Steele's initially calm and serious aura took a turn down the distressed road. " _This_ scares me. More than any consequence for any kind of defiance against our leaders."

"'Jedi Master and General Tiplar lost her life at the hands of a neurologically disordered clone trooper during the middle of the Ringo Vinda Operation…' it says here that he accidentally shot her!" Compass exclaimed after reading the highlighted text.

Standing adjacent to Compass, Egad raised a brow. "If it was an 'accident'. Why would they label him off as mentally ill then? The only time authorities ever use that kind of excuse is if the death was…no…accident…" A moment of eureka lit above him. "Wait a minute, Dogma's right! There _is_ something strange going on here!"

There was now a consensus on this topic in this room. All four clones seemed to agree there were inconsistencies and ambiguity in the story being told from Tup and Fives's records. But that wasn't enough to make concrete conclusions.

"Alright. For the moment, let's say General Tiplar's death was no accident." Steele moved closer to Dogma. "You knew Tup best. What would you say would cause him to shoot a Jedi?"

"If the Jedi was anything like Krell," Dogma replied with a hint of bitterness in his voice.

"Alright. Let's take it even further and say General Tiplar is nothing like Krell. _Now_ what would cause him to shoot her?" Steele asked again.

This time, Dogma was quiet. From the time he's known Tup, he knew him as a morally adept person who was a bit naive—but would never ever be swayed into something like killing a Jedi.

"I…I don't…" And then Dogma remembered something. "The tumour! Tup died of a brain tumour or so it says, but maybe something like that hindered his better judgement and caused him to do what he did!"

"But I thought you and your friend, Kix, didn't believe in the brain tumour story," Egad reminded.

"I didn't! But now thinking about, it could be a possibility," Dogma admitted.

"Argh! I'm so confused!" Compass threw himself onto the table. His hands squeezed his head in frustration. "Why in the galaxy would anyone go through so much trouble twisting and turning an otherwise straightforward story into the mess we know it as today?"

Steele reached over the table to take his datapad back. "When it involves a Jedi being killed, the higher-ups know no limit. Or have you all forgotten what happened at Dogma's court-martial?"

The three other clones simultaneously turned their heads to their commander. Horrid memories of the trial testimonies and examinations crossed their minds—Dogma's especially. Steele knew he made his point.

"Burtoni was willing to bring in a falsely testifying witness just to put Dogma down under. And this was for someone like _Krell_ 's death." Steele recalled the Umbara spy witness and his fake story. It almost succeeded in ensuring Dogma's death sentence. "If Krell wasn't a Jedi, I highly doubt she would've risked doing that. Now, we've got another case of a clone killing a Jedi, and it ends with both perpetrator and first-hand witness dead. What do you make of this?"

"Kaminoans don't like it when one of us kills a Jedi," Dogma concluded.

"But in your case, it was comprehendable!" Compass argued. "In Tup's case? Not so much."

"What about Fives's involvement?" Egad brought up. "It's said that he was brought to Coruscant after Tup died but it didn't say why he went absolutely nuts afterwards."

"Kix said that he was scared. And that he had something urgent to tell General Skywalker and Captain Rex but…I think he died before he could tell them," Dogma mentioned to Steele and Compass, who weren't there when Kix told him this.

"Something urgent…" Steele repeated to himself.

Fives had something urgent to tell his general, a Jedi, and was issued a shoot on sight order by the Chancellor. What is he to make of this? At this point, Steele felt his mind nearing overload from all this thinking and theorizing and exchanging of ideas that would no doubtedly get them arrested on charge of treason against the Republic.

"You know what?" Steele picked up his datapad off the table and then began heading towards the exit. "Enough for today. Let's all just sleep on this and continue with hopefully fresher minds tomorrow."

When Steele didn't get an immediate response, he stopped in front of the door and turned back around. "Seriously, I don't wanna hear any of this from you three for the rest of today."

The three clones nodded in response. Steele was relieved. "Thank you."

He walked out of the room. It wasn't that he didn't want to continue discussing. He just needed a break to gather his thoughts. Because despite all the discrepancies in the story from last week's series of tragic events, one thing's for sure. It all started when Tup killed Master Tiplar due to an 'illness' he was suffering from.

And if it could happen to him. Could it happen to any of them?

~ O O O ~

Even though Steele said to forget about this for the rest of the day, none of them really could. It was eating them every waking second. And when they retired for the night, it was still eating them.

That night was a rough night for Steele. The events of the day piled up on him, stabbing and molding his mind until he entered some sort of psychedelic dream experience. He was seeing the Battle of Ringo Vinda through the eyes of Tup. It was through his eyes, but he still felt like he was in his own body. He was witnessing the battle from the moment it started to the moment he began walking up to Master Tiplar with his blaster raised.

But when he took aim at her, he was shocked to see—not Master Tiplar's face staring back at him, but rather Aliyah's!

_Bang!_

Steele woke up immediately, breathing hard and covered in cold sweat. _Just a dream. It was just a bad dream._ He told himself as he lied back down again.

_But how many bad dreams have the potential of possibly being real?_

Blame it on the dream, or the day's events, or some sort of innate justice, but Steele now knows what he wants to do.

~ O O O ~

"Dogma. Can you meet me outside the training hall after you're done?" Steele asked him while he was still eating breakfast—thank goodness he's back three meals a day again.

Looking up from his seat, Dogma nodded. "Sure. Are we…continuing where we left off?"

"Sort of. I've got something big to ask of you, and Compass and Egad."

Hearing that made Dogma's adrenaline rise. He finished his breakfast in record time as soon as Steele left. Then made his way to the halls surrounding the training room. Compass and Egad were already there when he arrived. Both of them looked as anxious as he probably was.

"Alright, commander. What's this big thing you've got to ask of us?" Dogma asked.

Steele stood up from leaning against the wall. He seemed a little uneasy, almost afraid. "Dogma, Compass, Egad. We had a long talk yesterday and an even longer time processing what we talked about. Now it's time to decide how to proceed. I want to make sure we're all in the same boat before making you do something you might regret."

"If this is about finding out what really happened with Tup and Fives, then you don't need to worry about me," Dogma said. "I'm gonna get to the bottom of this. No matter what."

"No. Not 'no matter what,'" Steele strongly reprimanded. "Whatever it takes, as long as you're safe. I don't want any more martyrs being made."

All three clones widened their ears upon hearing that. Never would they have thought their commander would tell them to secretly investigate the sincerity of their own government. If he was allowing this, then even he must believe this issue is too dangerous to be left alone.

Steele continued to explain his plan. "You three will stay here on Kamino. Egad, I've left a copy of my access card in your locker. You may use it access reports, logs, or any file that may be of use to you guys to get you started. But more than likely, you'll have to be looking at stuff that I won't have access to. When it comes to that, make sure you only proceed if you know for sure, none of you will be caught."

"And how will we do that? It's not like we can override security," Egad said.

"No, but lucky for us. The security systems here suck." Steele looked to Compass knowingly.

Though a bit shocked at first, Compass's shock quickly turned into amusement. "Wow, never thought the day would come when my exploitations of Kamino's security would be used for good reasons. But yeah, don't worry, sir. I'll make sure we don't get caught in our endeavors."

Great. It seemed like the plan on Kamino's end is well and done.

"Sir, you said the three of us are to stay on Kamino," Egad pointed out. "So, where are you going?"

"The place where most of last week's events took place: Coruscant," Steele answered.

~ O O O ~

For the rest of the morning, the selected trio of soon-to-be investigators began preparing themselves mentally and emotionally. Because this task they're about to do, is nothing to laugh at.

If they mess this up…If they mess this up, they'll all end up in the same fate as Fives. Or worse.

So they have to succeed.

Egad checked his locker after the meeting with Steele and the other two. Surely enough, a card with Steele's ID number was inside. It almost felt unreal to him when he reached in to pick it up. This was really happening.

Inside the barracks, Compass began jotting down every weakness and loophole he knows of the security system here. He'd need to examine more of the building before they can start snooping around safely. But for now, he has a solid start in how they can stay out of trouble.

Dogma spent most of his time after the meeting reviewing the records again. He was looking for anything that could be key to their investigation. They needed a starting point after all. Fives died for something, what exactly, that's what they're going to find out.

"Don't worry, old friend. I'm gonna find out what you died trying to reveal," Dogma put the datapad containing Fives's record away. "I owe you."

Elsewhere, Steele was heading down the halls of HQ towards the main hangar deck. Geared up and ready to go off-world. He just needed one more thing to do.

"Hey, Wolffe. Are you free to talk right now?" Steele spoke to his holopad.

The hologram of Wolffe nodded. "Yeah, sure. What do you want?"

"That extra apartment General Plo got for you on Coruscant," Steele began. The door to the hangar opened, revealing the Coruscant-bound starshipwaiting on deck. He stepped towards the lowered ramp. "Can you lend it to me for a few days?"

"Well, let's see…"

_**Next time on The Clone's Hero, the trio on Kamino begin exploiting the weak security system in search of evidence for Fives's innocence, meanwhile, Steele begins initiating his own search for evidence on Coruscant…** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N. I want to thank everyone who's returned and even more to the ones who commented (love you guys)! This is the penultimate arc of my story, so I truly hope you'll stick with me to the end. Stay comfy, stay cozy, and remember to kudo, bookmark, and comment!
> 
> See you all next time! :)
> 
> \- MiraLake


	42. Sneaking Around (Investigating Fives's Death pt3)

**Sneaking Around (Investigating Fives's Death pt3)**

_**It's only natural to crave the truth, but it's how far one would go that determines the difference between righteousness and foolishness** _

Steele arrived on Coruscant sooner than he expected. He met with Wolffe just outside Temple District as soon as he landed. He needed to receive the keycard to his apartment.

"Here you go," Wolffe said while handing over a copy of his apartment's card. "So, exactly what kind of work are you here for again?"

"There are some things I can tell you, and some that I can't. This is one of those things," Steele responded.

Though Wolffe didn't entirely accept that answer, he didn't argue with it either. "It's not something that'll get me in trouble, is it? 'Cause it _is_ my apartment I'm lending to you."

"Nope. It's something that'll get _me_ in trouble," Steele assured. "And hopefully. Just me."

Wolffe blinked at that statement.

Upon arriving at the apartment, Steele wasted no time in setting up a workspace in the den. But he couldn't help in admiring the atmosphere of this place. General Plo got this apartment for Wolffe to give him a taste of life away from the battlefield whenever his breaks came up. There were all kinds of mundane items decorating the place and civilian outfits hanging in the closet.

Unfortunately, the army's been getting less and less vacation breaks as the war progressed, so Wolffe hadn't had a lot of time to come here and relax.

Steele removed his gear and flopped onto the den table's chair, which was unbelievably soft for an office chair. He took out his datapad, commlink, holopad, powered on the tabletop computer, and took out a datachip containing every mission report, medical examination, and track record that he felt may be significant.

It was time to start working.

"First thing's first: I'm gonna need to get in contact with Captain Rex." That was the main reason why Steele came to Coruscant. To speak with the man who last spoke with Fives before death—despite the fact he was under interrogation at the moment. "And that's not gonna be easy to do…"

~ O O O ~

At the Kamino HQ, the trio of investigators sat in a quiet spot in the barracks. They needed to decide where to start digging.

"Let's start safe. Let's start with something the commander has access to," Egad suggested. He held up the copy of Steele's access card for Compass and Dogma to see.

The two agreed. Compass gestured to Dogma. "Well Dogma, do you have anything in mind?"

Dogma nodded and took out Tup's record. He pointed at a highlighted section on it. "Tup was brought back from the Battle of Ringo Vinda for a medical exam here. Now, it doesn't matter which side the Kaminoans are on, doctors are required to uphold a certain degree of transparency, because it's sentient lives they're dealing with. So I'm willing to bet Tup's med exam will hold a lot more info than his service record does."

"Do we know if the commander has access to medical exam results?" Egad made sure. That was the most important part to him.

"Oh, yeah, definitely," Compass answered for Dogma. "I remember him getting the med exams for some guys from the 104th after our mission in locating the rogue Seppies."

"Then it's settled. Let's go get the med exam!" Dogma put down the datapad.

A few moments later, Egad found himself in front of the door that led to the database for clone medical and health records. He couldn't believe he was doing this. _Just remember: you're here to retrieve something for your commander. And others will believe it too._

Taking in a deep breath, Egad tapped his card on the door sensor and entered the database. There were a couple of other clone officers and Kaminoan doctors around, but thankfully, they were all busy with their own work.

Egad made his way to the nearest terminal and tried to enter Tup's ID number into the menu. But all he got was a glaring 'access denied' alert. Panic began surging through his veins.

"You need to swipe your card over there first before you can use the terminal," a clone captain at the computer next to Egad's said.

Egad looked to the shiny little slot next to the computer screen that the captain was pointing at. "Oh! Uh, thanks!"

He swiped his card across the slot. Sure enough, the 'access denied' alert disappeared.

"Recently promoted?" The captain asked, almost knowingly.

"Uh, yeah," Egad lied.

"You'll get the hang of it," the captain laughed before signing out of his computer and making his way to the exit. "Welcome to the ranks by the way."

"Yeah. Thanks again!"

 _Ok, that was close! Thank goodness for nice people!_ Egad typed in Tup's number into the search menu again. This time, actual results came up. He carefully sifted through the folders until he came across the medical examination performed on Tup by Nala Se from one week ago.

Egad took out the datachip he brought with him and placed it in the transfer port. He proceeded to copy over the entire exam result to the chip. As soon as it was done, he felt a huge weight lift from his chest. He immediately signed out of the computer and hurried to the exit.

Outside, Compass and Dogma were waiting for him. They looked at him expectantly.

"Did you get it?" Dogma asked.

Egad displayed the datachip in response. He handed it over to Dogma. "Let's hope the 'good doctor' truly is a ' _good'_ doctor."

~ O O O ~

Mace was standing with a few other Council Masters amidst the Senate Building hall. They were handling updates on the events surrounding Fives's death. The Kaminoans claim it was a parasite native to Ringo Vinda that caused Tup and Fives's chips to malfunction. But just to be sure, the Jedi called in esteemed scientists of other Republic Worlds cross-check this parasite existence.

However, as of right now, the Masters had to deal with a very upset recently released from detainment, Anakin Skywalker. Who was less than pleased with the way things were being handled.

He hoped to talk to the Chancellor himself, against the judgement of the Masters.

"The Chancellor will listen to me!" Anakin insisted, almost ready to make a run-for-it to the nearby elevator.

"The Chancellor has been avoiding our questions and has been mitigating the deaths of Master Tiplar, Tup, and your ARC-trooper, Fives, ever since your detainment," Obi-Wan revealed. "This situation is more dire than you know, so please, for once in your life, follow our orders!"

Hearing the tone of pleading in Obi-Wan's voice combined with the fact that Palpatine has been mitigating the deaths of Master Tiplar, Tup, and Fives, made Anakin suddenly feel less agitated.

He reluctantly decided to let up. "Fine. I'll head back to the Temple."

"I'll head back with you, Young Skywalker." Plo Koon suddenly walked up to the group from the Senate entrance. "I'll catch you up on what's going on out here and you can tell me what happened during your detainment."

Anakin was glad for some good company. "Fair enough."

He and Plo walked out of the Senate Building and across the streets of police inspectors, Kaminoans, clones, and Jedi, all working about the events leading up to Fives's death. The two conversed as they walked.

"I'm worried about Rex. He shouldn't be in detainment this long," Anakin confessed.

"Don't worry too much. Apparently the Chancellor has been thinking about giving him some partial freedom, so his release will be upon us soon," Plo assured.

They passed by groups of civilians while getting to the airlanes. And amongst those civilians, was Steele, dressed in a combo of mundane attire from Wolffe's closet. He eavesdropped on the two Jedi's conversation and thought about his next steps.

~ O O O ~

Dogma finished reading through the medical examination on Tup by Nala Se. It was an astonishing report to say the least. He was the last of the trio to read through it, so as soon as he put it down, they began discussing.

"This 'biochip' thing…this was never mentioned in the service record," Dogma started.

"No, it wasn't," Egad agreed. "And it was directly related to Tup's cause of death. So the brain tumour wasn't the sole factor."

"But what are these chips even for?" Compass asked.

"I dunno," Egad stated flatly. "Up until this point, I didn't even know these chips existed in the first place!"

"None of us did," Dogma corrected.

The trio was quiet for a few seconds, thinking about possibilities the chip's existence presented to them. "Open up the med exam again," Egad suddenly said.

Since Dogma was the closest one to it, he reached for the datapad and turned it on to the med exam report.

"Look in there for any correlation between biochips and Tup shooting General Tiplar," Egad demanded.

Dogma scanned through the lines of text as carefully as his eyes could let him. Compass and Egad struck up a soft conversation behind him.

"Where'd you get that kind of idea?" Compass asked quietly.

"From nowhere. It's just a stretch, but we needed a lead, and this one seemed the most susceptible," Egad explained his thought process.

Turning another page of the report, Dogma used his finger to help him spot anything his eyes might miss. He finally found something that may be of use. "Here! This right here says that due to the tumour, Tup's biochip became malfunctioned, which led to problems in his neurological system and made him prone to actions he wouldn't, under normal circumstances, do. I think this as close as we can get to a correlation between biochips and Tup shooting General Tiplar."

"Then he shot her because his chip malfunctioned?" Egad questioned, starting to second-guess his idea.

"From this report that's what it seems like. But it doesn't really explain what these chips do," Dogma closed the report again.

"Ok, but my question is: why would these chips purposely be excluded from Tup's service record while included in his med exam?" Compass said, pacing about. "Doctor transparency aside, it doesn't make sense. Anyone of high enough rank can view the med exam and the service record and realize one contains something that the other doesn't and boom—we'd be having a lot more people than just us realizing something's wrong here."

"I think—and I stress on the word, _think_ —that more people may have already realized this," Egad said.

"What?" Compass was confused.

"Doctor Nala Se upheld her obligation to be transparent, that's why the biochip was included in her report. But she is Kaminoan. And the Kaminoans created us, they know our bodies better than we ever will. They're probably confident they can dissuade anyone who have discovered the existence of biochips from this report, that biochips are suspicious," Egad explained in a slow fashion so the other two can follow along.

And from the looks on their faces, they were able to follow along. It was an upsetting thought: that the Kaminoans have this much control over their minds and bodies. But it also gave Dogma an idea.

"If the Kaminoans really do know our bodies better than we do, then we'll just have to take a look at what they know. Compass!"

"Yes?" Compass gave Dogma his attention.

"Um, how hard is it to get into the engineering lab?"

Compass did a quick estimate inside his head. "Best give me a few hours to think this through. I'll get in us in, don't worry. But why the engineering lab though?"

"Maybe the 'good doctor' have something about biochips in there."

Compass felt his pulse quicken. Looks like it has already come to the point where they'll have to sneak into places even their commander has no access to. He would need to make sure their plan is foolproof, otherwise this would be one short investigation.

~ O O O ~

Rex felt like he was in a time loop. Every day was the same routine. Wake up, wash up, eat, answer questions, eat, answer more questions, eat, answer even more questions, and then sleep. And it would all repeat the next morning.

This has been happening for nearly a week now. And what's worse. His interrogator has been asking him only one type of question. To which he always had the same type of answer.

"I don't know," Rex replied flatly.

"I'm asking you if ARC-trooper-5555 said anything of slander or sedition regarding the Grand Army of the Republic during his unstable mental state," the judicial interrogator demanded.

"And I'm telling you I don't know," Rex repeated himself. He really didn't like how everyone was making out Fives as the bad guy. "You can inject me with compliance serum, have the Jedi use their mind tricks on me—the answer will still be the same. This is just a waste of time for both of us."

The judicial didn't say anything. He just stared at Rex and let his eyes say everything he needed to say. And it wasn't anything pleasant.

Not too long after, the judicial paid a visit to Palpatine at his office. It came without surprise that Palpatine wasn't too happy with the lack of progress.

"He still won't say anything?" Palpatine asked.

The judicial stood straight as he answered. "He's stubborn, this clone is. But not to worry, your Excellency, I'll have him giving actual answers instead of 'I don't know's' if it takes all month."

"You will do no such thing," Palpatine sterned as he rose from his chair. "This clone captain needs to feel we're not against him. Take him outside for a while, have a few guards around as his entourage but try to not have the situation seem antagonistic. Perhaps having some of his freedom back would make him more compliant with our questions."

"Yes, your Excellency. I will do that immediately."

The judicial didn't take long to assemble a small ensemble of Senate Guards and to inform Rex and the Jedi Council of this partial freedom. Rex was surprised to hear this. He wondered what they were trying to achieve from allowing him to finally breathe fresh air again—albeit for a brief while.

The guards took Rex through an underground path leading to a large hotel complex away from the detainment facility to reduce immediate public attention.

"Anyplace you wish to go?" One guard asked Rex once they reached the surface floor.

Rex glanced around the hotel lobby. It wasn't crowded but it wasn't empty either and the people here seemed to mind their own business pretty well. His eyes stopped at the entrance to the washroom.

"If you all don't mind, I'd like to use the restroom first," Rex said.

The guards looked at each other as if discussing. Then one of them answered, "You may go. You have exactly 10 minutes before one of us comes in to check on you."

That was good enough for Rex. 10 minutes of privacy was better than none. "Thank you." He walked across the lobby and entered the restroom. The guards stood on guard around the entrance.

Sitting on a public bench not too far from the restroom entrance was Steele, still dressed in mundane attire. Finally! After hours of stalking, trailing, and following word-of-mouths, he had reached this opportune moment. But still…

_I can't believe I'm resorting to this._

Steele swiftly replaced his vision goggles with a pair of dark shades he bought hours ago just for this situation. He took out his rarely-used white cane, extended it, put on an oversized hat and finally stood up. Pretending to be a blind civilian was easy when the pretender truly is blind.

Tapping out a safe path with his cane, Steele carefully made his way towards the restroom. He miscalculated and nearly hit one guard standing to the side of the entrance.

"Careful, sir," the guard was surprisingly gentle with his words. He redirected Steele towards the entrance. "Washroom's this way."

Steele only smiled and nodded in thanks. He made his way inside. Once he turned the corner, he put back on his goggles and examined the entire restroom. It was large, golden, and had several stalls that offered utmost privacy. There weren't a lot of people right now and Rex was nowhere to be found, so Steele assumed he was in a stall right now.

As if on cue, Rex walked out of a corner stall and went up to the sink to wash his hands. Steele immediately went up to the sink adjacent to his and pretended to wash his hands as well.

"Captain Rex?"

Rex looked at the man to his side. "Yes? Do I know you?" There was an air of familiarity about him, especially those goggles.

"I'm Steele. I command the 304th, where your former soldier, Dogma is in right now?"

"The Umbara aftermath court-martial…yes, I remember!" Rex exclaimed, then quickly lowered his voice. "What are you doing here? And um, dressed like this?"

"I need to speak to you about something," Steele whispered. "It has to do with the events surrounding Fives's death."

Rex froze. The sink continued running. A few people began coming into the washroom, forcing Rex to rethink the way he was going to speak with Steele. "There's been a lot of chaos lately, I envy civilians like you who are far away from the centre of it all. Why do you wish to draw nearer to it?"

"Let's say it started with one of my friends—he just recently joined my group so I'm trying to look to look out for him—he's not handling these latest bits news too well," Steele replaced his goggles with the shades. He was a civilian once again. "I want to help him get over it by giving him some closure, but turns out, these events are bigger than I thought."

Rex understood what he meant. Steele is trying to help Dogma out and instead realized the depth of this whole thing. Now he's getting involved himself. "Tell your friend there's not much you can do. Getting involved only gets you in trouble. Best stop now while it's still early."

"I've got a lot to lose if I stop now," Steele reached for the hand-dryer that was built next to the sink tap. His tone came out lower than normal. "Can't you help a blind man out?"

Rex checked the time on the large clock hanging above the restroom's exit. Plenty of time left. But it wasn't that he was afraid of running out of time that made him reluctant in speaking.

"I've lost a friend recently." It physically hurt Rex to even speak about the events of the past week, but he continued on anyway. "He was a sailor. He always explored where he wanted, whenever he wanted, to try and expand our knowledge about the world. No amount of danger would ever cause him to back down in the endless stormy body of water…I think, my friend lost his life 'cause he sailed too far into the ocean. He found something while exploring out there. He just couldn't make it back to shore and show it to the rest of us…perhaps some other sailor foolish enough could go retrieve what he discovered."

"Where is this place that he last sailed?" Steele asked while using the hand-dryer built next to the sink tap.

"I'm not sure. But there is a map shop down in the lower levels of Coruscant, near Sector I-9. He liked choosing places to go from there," Rex said.

 _Sector I-9. Lower levels of Coruscant._ Steele memorized those words. He has a new location now.

He extended his cane. "My biggest condolences to your sailor friend. But there are plenty of sailors out there, and what happened to him would only trigger the rest to find what he died trying to bring back, and showcase it for all the galaxy."

"I just hope the sea doesn't claim any more sailors before that happens," Rex replied. "Otherwise, I may have to start learning how to sail myself." He walked past Steele and gave him one last 'be careful' before leaving the restroom.

~ O O O ~

The day was getting late on Coruscant and streetlights began coming on, the entire city was lighting up for the night. Which meant the nightlife people were coming out soon. But no amount of drinkers, clubbers, and partiers would erase the tension in the air given by the masses of authority figures still dealing with the Fives incident.

Steele finally reached sector I-9. However, one look around the place and he knew he had to call it quits for today. The area was heavily taped up with police lines and surrounded by Kaminoan inspectors and military representatives and their personnel.

He'll just have to find another time to come back. Turning around, he headed back to the main level and wondered how Dogma, Egad, and Compass were doing—

"Turn around and face me, Steele."

Steele froze in his steps. Standing behind him, was none other than Wolffe. It almost relieved him knowing that it was Wolffe and not somebody else. Almost.

Obeying the command, Steele slowly turned around, his face void of any concern. Instead, he looked curious. "How'd you find out?"

"Oh please. Like I wouldn't recognize the jacket I picked up off the floor this morning while cleaning the place," Wolffe replied sarcastically, nodding at the black jacket with deep pockets Steele was wearing. "What are you doing here on Coruscant? Really?"

Steele took off the oversized hat and stuffed it into one his jacket's pockets. "I thought you said you didn't want to get in trouble."

"I'm making an exception for you, because you're my friend." There wasn't a hint of sarcasm or humour in Wolffe's voice. "No one just shows up outside the place where it all happened on a mere whim. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're trying to look more into this stuff."

"What if I say that I am?"

A moment of silence passed by.

"You're crazy!" Wolffe yelled between his teeth.

"I am not."

"You're absolutely insane!"

"That's interchangeable with crazy."

"Why are hating yourself so much?"

That caught Steele off-guard. "What?"

"You…!" Wolffe took a deep breath "…are deliberately looking into something that's already claimed the life of one clone! Anyone, with an shred of self-appreciation would avoid this like the plague! But you're not! _Why_ are you not?" The last question sent shivers down Steele's spine.

But still, he didn't waver from his stance. "Because I've got my reasons."

"I'm sure you do. But I've got my reasons for making you stop this—whatever this is that you're doing—right this instant!" Wolffe was getting more roused with every second Steele refused to openly state he'll stop this investigation. "As your friend, as your colleague, and as your same-blood family, I demand that you _put an end to this_."

Steele was so happy knowing he had a friend like Wolffe. A friend who'd go this far to get him to stop from doing what he believed was suicidal. Which was why he felt so guilty right now.

"I can't," was Steele's final answer. Wolffe was speechless. "Don't get in trouble for me."

Knowing that the conversation had ended beyond all progression, Steele turned and left the area. Leaving Wolffe standing there in disbelief.

"You fool…," he whispered painfully. "…you bloody righteous fool…"

~ O O O ~

Compass spent all day stalking Nala Se and any Kaminoan doctor who entered the engineering lab. He had to understand how the place's security worked before he could learn how to bypass it. And now, he thinks he knows how.

" _The door's got a sensor," Compass explained to Dogma and Egad his plan on how to get them all into the lab. "I saw it when some doctors were hauling a huge cart into the lab. It's able to detect when there's no more blockage before closing."_

" _So how are you gonna take advantage of that?" Dogma asked._

" _With this." Compass presented commlink covered in white bandage gauze._

_Dogma and Egad looked at him skeptically._

The door to the lab opened and out walked a Kaminoan doctor. Compass immediately ran up, pretending to not look where he was going, and crashed into him. They both fell to the floor.

"Watch where you're going!" The doctor shouted, rubbing his head in pain.

"I'm so sorry, sir! Really, I'm so sorry about this!" Compass said as he helped the doctor up to his feet, drawing attention away from the gauze-covered comm he put between the doorway when they crashed.

Liking the fact this clone was apologetic enough to help him up, the doctor walked off without issuing any form of punishment. Compass waited until he was gone before dashing into the lab, he gestured for Dogma and Egad to quickly enter from their hiding spots around the corner.

Once inside, Compass picked up the comm that blended with floor perfectly. The door immediately closed. They were inside the engineering lab now.

"Where are all the doctors?" Dogma asked, glancing around at the rows of interesting equipment, storage containers, and computer screens.

"Dinner break," Compass explained. "It's the only time out of day they get to truly relax from working 24/7. We got a 1-hour window to find what we came here for! Let's hurry!"

The trio rushed over to a computer and tried to get into it. But it required a passcode. Luckily, Compass was already prepared for that. "Passcode's Lama Su's name, reverse it and replace every letter with it's order in the Aurebesh alphabet."

"What? How do you know this?" Dogma asked while proceeding to type in the passcode as told.

"I uh, may or may have gotten highly intoxicated with a Kaminoan field doctor during a horrendously bad recon mission on a Felucian moon…" Compass trailed off, knowing there was no need for him to elaborate.

Dogma entered the final number corresponding to Lama Su's name reversed. They now have access to the computer. Everything was sorted by name. Egad pointed to Nala Se's folder. "Check out her stuff. She was the one who wrote Tup's med exam, there's bound to be something useful here."

Dogma selected the folder. Inside, there were even more folders, this time sorted by date. But within each folder, there was a different sorting style. The trio examined the folders that closely matched the days of the Ringo Vinda Operation and the days following that. It took some effort and careful digging, but they eventually struck gold.

"'Summary of Clone Inhibitor Chips by Dr. Nala Se', this is it! I think," Dogma could hardly hold back his excitement.

"Well, go on! Open it!" Compass egged.

"Copy it over while you do," Egad handed over a datachip and Dogma inserted into the file transfer port. He opened the document while simultaneously copying it onto the datachip.

The opening pages of the document already paved the theme for the rest of it. All clones had the inhibitor chips planted in them during early embryonic development. They are primarily meant to keep the clones from going insane due to the stress and horrors of war they'll have to endure. But there were other uses for the chip such as—

"Someone's coming back!" Egad whispered before pushing Dogma and Compass down behind a storage cylinder. Dogma managed to pull out the datachip and turn off the computer before being pushed down.

The person entered the lab. It was Nala Se. The trio was silent as she went up to a counter on the other side of the lab and grabbed something off of it. She then quickly made her way out as she had made her way in.

"Alright, let's go!" Compass prepared to stand back up before being stopped by Egad.

"Wait! What if she or someone else is right outside? What then?"

"Oh…kriff, I did not think of that!"

Dogma looked around the place for an alternative exit solution. Then it became clear before his eyes. The vent. "Guys! Up there! We can use that to get out!"

Though a bit wary, the three clones made their way over to below the vent, and use the nearby counters to reach up to its opening. Together, they managed to pry it open and then climb in, closing the seal behind them. They were now out of the lab safely. Mission successful.

~ O O O ~

Wolffe knew what he was about to do would risk severing all friendship with Steele. But that didn't matter. If he couldn't talk sense into Steele, then he'll get someone who most likely can. He approached the room on the first floor of the Senate where Aliyah was currently working in.

"General Korentayer, can we talk?" Wolffe carefully walked through the doorway. Aliyah could only nod in greeting to him before returning to work. It was obvious that she had a lot on her plate right now. All the Jedi did.

Wolffe felt bad that he was about to make her plate heavier than ever. "It has to do with Steele."

"Oh, if you wish to speak with him about something, you don't need my permission. Just tell Plo before you board the ship for Kamino," Aliyah said in between sending a few update reports.

Wolffe was confused. "What? Steele's not at Kamino right now, he's here, on Coruscant. Didn't you know that?"

Aliyah gradually stopped typing. "No. No, I did not." She turned around to face Wolffe directly. "Why is he here?"

Wolffe made sure the coast was safe before talking. "I'm gonna tell you something. Promise me you won't freak."

Aliyah eyed Wolffe carefully. Fear began seeping into her veins but she didn't let it show. She nodded at him to tell her.

Wolffe lowered his voice. "He's investigating Fives's death."

The datapad slipped from Aliyah's fingers, hitting the ground with a loud clatter.

_**Next time on The Clone's Hero, the trio discover something interesting regarding the biochips and update Steele on this, but he's got a whole new problem to handle on his own, and no matter the outcome, things would never the be same again…** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N. And that ladies and gentlemen, was probably the longest chapter I've ever written. Whew, I'm beat. I've been preparing and hosting a New Year's Zoom party over the last couple of days and it's not easy! How are you guys coping so far? Excited for 2021? Any big resolutions? Let me know! :)
> 
> Don't forget to kudo, bookmark, or comment if you can. And see you all next time! :)
> 
> \- MiraLake


	43. Attachment (Investigating Fives's Death pt4)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy 2021 everyone! Next chapter will be delayed since this week is my onboarding week for my co-op job. But I hope this chapter will at least make up for that! :)

**Attachment (Investigating Fives's Death pt4)**

_**Care, don't be cared for; protect, don't be protected; love, don't fall in love** _

A few of the Council Masters went to the Senate, demanding another audience with the Chancellor. But as usual, he refused to speak to them about the matter of Master Tiplar, Tup, and Fives, until things have settled down.

"This is starting to seem extremely suspicious," Mace expressed to the others while traveling down from the Chancellor's office to the first floor of the Senate. It was now nightfall, so the lights of Coruscant shone brightly through the main entranceways.

"You're only starting to see that now?" Obi-Wan asked in false amusement.

"Of course not. But if I were to say it earlier then it would've caused nothing but more trouble for us," Mace explained. "We'll just have to wait until those cross-examinations are finished. Then we can see for sure if there was a virus that infected the clones in the first place."

Kit Fisto disliked the idea they had to contact people of other worlds to get answers their own government isn't providing for them. "It's just one big problem after the over. Over and over and over again, until this war ends."

Walking at the front, Master Yoda agreed dejectedly. "Fallen upon us, many tragedies have. The war, the bombing, the mysterious deaths of three unfortunate souls. Many good people, friends, and Jedi, we lost to the tragedies."

Many lives lost or ruined. The victims of the Temple bombing. The clones involved in the Umbara Operation. The fallen Padawan Barriss Offee. The lost Padawan Ahsoka Tano…

"Makes you wonder, who'll be next," Mace said ominously while shaking his head.

"Let us hope there will be no 'next,'" Plo countered, sounding more affirmative than appropriate.

But it was something the Masters all agreed with. Though unfortunately, they have no control over what's to happen down the line.

~ O O O ~

After escaping from the lab through a vent that so just conveniently had another opening over a storage room, Dogma, Compass, and Egad eagerly checked out the contents of the inhibitor chip report. They knew they had come to a huge turning point.

"We've struck gold!" Dogma whisper-shouted, while inserting the datachip containing the report into his datapad. "I'm telling you, we've struck gold!"

"I'm just shocked the break-in and exit plan worked," Egad breathed out.

"Of course it worked! I'm a genius, the commander said so," Compass argued.

Egad wasn't convinced. "Eh. That's debatable."

"Guys, huddle around! I've got it up!" Dogma gestured for them to come over to his side of the table. They were currently in a break room inside their barracks. Rarely anyone came here. "Let's see what the 'good doctor' has hidden in here."

Dogma displayed the contents of the document for all of them to see.

Now, in the safety of their break room, the trio were able to read anything they wish to read. And to re-read it if needed. It was a long but highly organized report. Every keyword had a reference link to another section in the document that explained it more clearly, making the clones' work in interpretation a lot easier.

Eventually, they believed they read enough to get the main picture of what biochips are for.

"Three reasons." Dogma began summarizing, "Number one: to provide sanity and a strong-mentality in handling the trauma of war. Number two: to prevent any breaks from conditioning, so the rate of rogues or deserters in the army would be in the down-low. Number three: to ensure absolute obedience in deploying emergency Republic orders."

"One and two makes sense. But what's three? What're emergency Republic orders?" Compass asked aloud.

Dogma thought back to his training days. "Do you think it's something we've learned before?"

"If it is, shouldn't it be ringing a bell?" Compass threw back. "Then again, I don't remember much from my cadet days."

Egad ignored Compass's comments. He focused on generating any sort of memory based on the words 'emergency Republic orders'. Eventually, he got something. "Y'all remember the joint mission with the 104th guys and the Bad Batch?"

Compass let out a low whistle. "How can we not? The commander got captured near the end of the mission and the leading rogue Seppy got killed by Grievous. But at least we got the datachip the Chancellor wanted back so badly."

"Yeah. And I recall the commander talking about a keyword he learned about amidst it. 'Contingency Orders', or so I remember," Egad explained.

"So what are you saying?" Dogma asked, curious about what Egad's thinking of.

"I think we should give the commander a call."

~ O O O ~

By the time Steele reached the apartment, he was exhausted. He immediately changed out of his mundane outfit of the day and back into his standard-issue blacks. He flopped onto a couch in the window-lit living room. What a day.

If someone told him a week ago that he'd be walking around Coruscant for over 8 hours dressed as a lost blind man, he'd file a request to have them sent to an insane institution.

"… _I think, my friend lost his life 'cause he sailed too far into the ocean…" Rex said._

" _You…! are deliberately looking into something that's already claimed the life of one clone! Anyone, with a shred of self-appreciation would avoid this like the plague! But you're not!_ _ **Why**_ _are you not?" Wolffe demanded._

"Have you told on me yet…?" Steele wondered aloud. He looked out the window at the city-lit twilight.

Suddenly, a beeping sound was coming from the den. Steele quickly got up to check out who was calling him. He got to the den and answered the call from his holopad sitting on the desk. Dogma's hologram appeared from the top of the device.

"Sir! How was your day?" Dogma greeted in a friendly manner.

"Peculiar," Steele answered as he sat down. "Yours?"

"We've found something VERY particular." Dogma's hologram disappeared for a second, allowing Egad and Compass to come on camera and share some quick talk with their commander. Then Dogma pushed them out of the way and reappeared, this time holding a datapad in both hands. "Nala Se's report on inhibitor chips. We managed to get this straight from the engineering lab! This is a goldmine of—!"

"—What the hell's an 'inhibitor chip?'" Steele interrupted.

Dogma did a mental facepalm. "Oh! Right! We haven't told you about that yet…" His voice trailed off as he turned to face his other two companions. "…can you send it to him now?"

Before Steele could ask what they were doing, a charming little _ding_ sounded from his datapad. He immediately reached over to pick it up. A medical examination document stared back at him.

"This is Tup's med exam, done by the 'good doctor,'" Dogma explained as Steele began flipping through the pages of the document. "If you get to the midsection you'll see that Tup had a malfunction in his inhibitor chip due to an unforeseen tumour. That's what caused him to behave irrationally."

Steele got the section of interest. He read it through. "So this is why he did what he did on Ringo Vinda?"

"Not quite. We weren't sure what those chips were for. That's where Nala Se's summary report comes in." Dogma turned around again. "Hey, can you send it to him?"

A few seconds later, Steele's datapad lit up with the arrival of a new document again. This time, it was Nala Se's interesting report. He took a quick glance over it.

"Read at it at your own pace, sir, but to give you the big picture. Chips are basically control-devices injected into us at embryo stage," Dogma explained. "They're there to keep us in check and in line, but to also make sure we don't go defiant when deploying emergency Republic orders."

Dogma abruptly stopped there. He went slightly off-camera. "…uh, you wanna takeover?"

"…sure." Moments later, Egad appeared on-camera. "Hi, sir."

"Hey," Steele acknowledged.

"Sir, you recall the mission in finding that weird datachip the Separatists got?" Egad asked.

"Mmhm. What about it?"

"You recall the keyword you discovered during it? 'Contingency Orders' or something…?" Egad waited for any reaction from his commander.

'Contingency Orders'…yes Steele did recall it. He also recalled his time of capture and interrogation under those rogue Separatists. During which he heard those words for the first time.

"I do," Steele said in response to Egad's question. "The late Senator Kushi hinted that their datachip was containing info related to said 'contingency orders.' Though, I don't know for sure."

Egad nodded eagerly. "Well, I was thinking of this. Since the upper echelons of the Republic seem to be trying to keep a lid on the Ringo Vinda events, just like they did with the information contained in the rogue Seppie's datachip, perhaps there's some kind of…correlation? Because—'contingency orders', 'emergency Republic orders'—c'mon! Am I making any sense?"

It began coming together in Steele's head. He understood where Egad was coming from. "I get it. I'll take a look at the stuff you sent me, and I'll take a look at my report on that mission. Amazing job, you guys. Truly amazing. Please stay safe."

"You too, sir. Have a good night—" Egad was pushed out of the way by Compass, who was hoping to ask something before the call ended.

"Am I genius, sir? 'Cause, I remember you called me that once. But he doesn't believe me," Compass pointed at Egad.

Steele inwardly chuckled. He decided to give an honest answer. "You are a genius. But you're not wise." He quickly moved on from that topic and wrapped up the call. "Remember what I said, stay safe, stay out of trouble."

Steele ended the call right there. _Because I may already be in a lot of it._

~ O O O ~

Palpatine waited patiently in his office. He was preparing for updates on clone captain 7567, commonly named 'Rex'. The judicial interrogating said clone entered the office just a few minutes later.

"Your Excellency, CT-7567 has still not let up, even though we gave him some partial freedom earlier today," the judicial announced.

That did not sit well with Palpatine. But he knew a dead end when he saw one. "Let the clone free. He knows nothing of significance we want. Let him return to the rest of his copies."

The judicial obeyed at once. "Yes, Your Excellency."

As soon as the judicial left, Palpatine went to his desk and called up Nala Se. He had some very urgent things to discuss with her.

"Chancellor, what did you call me for?" Nala Se asked politely.

"The Jedi have been looking into this parasite you fabricated as the cause for the two rogue clones' irrational behaviours," Palpatine revealed with a hint of maliciousness. He stared at the doctor intently. "If they discover inconsistencies with the findings from other scientists, I do hope you'll have good explanations for why your research came up with different results."

Nala Se did her best to hide her fear. If the Jedi were to successfully debunk her story, Lama Su and the Chancellor will most likely let her be the scapegoat. She quickly assured the Chancellor there was nothing to worry about.

"I will come up with a better story," Nala Se promised.

"See that you do," Palpatine warned. "Or I shall come up with one involving you."

~ O O O ~

Dusk was over. It was now fully night on Coruscant. Steele finished catching up on the docs his trio sent him hours ago. Now, he was enlightened, confused, and lost in thought. His stomach growled. And starving.

Putting down his report on the rogue Separatists mission, Steele decided to go out and get something to eat. He grabbed his keycard, a warm jacket, a few other tidbits and headed out the door. Once he got outside the building complex onto the streets, he froze.

Wolffe stood by the pedestrian lane, casually dressed as well. He nodded in greeting. "Taking a break?"

Steele looked at him tentatively. It hadn't been that long since their confrontation and the slight wedge between them was still there. He nodded in response.

"Yeah…"

"Me too." Wolffe paused for a brief second. Then began talking again, "You hungry for anything? I'll treat."

The wedge between them began shrinking.

Coruscant seemed more alive at night than it was at day. The city was made brighter by its lights and dozens upon dozens of speeders racing across the airlanes. Steele wasn't planning on sitting at a single place to have dinner and instead, made Wolffe accompany him everywhere, picking out edible grab-&-go's from any place that triggered his ghrelin level.

At first, small talk was difficult. But eventually, the wedge between the two clones decreased until it finally disappeared. They took a break at a pub shed to rest their legs. Steele bought Wolffe an appetizer as a thank-you. It was casual talk from thereon.

"How're you liking my place so far?" Wolffe inquired about the apartment he lent.

Steele pondered in thought. They were sitting side-by-side at a relatively small table meant for short stayers. He finally gave an answer, "Plo really loves you."

Wolffe nearly choked on his appetizer. "That's strong," he coughed. And he wasn't referring to the drink.

"But also not untrue," Steele stated simply.

" _Cough_ —watch it," Wolffe warned, but not very intimidating due to the state he was in.

"Apartment, civilian lifestyle, valuing lives over results, must I say more?" Steele listed, fatigue beginning to rise inside him.

" _Watch it_ ," Wolffe repeated, this time more intimidating than the last.

Steele didn't say anything. He just continued to sit there, watching Wolffe in mild hope. Eventually, he decided his legs weren't tired anymore and he picked up his container bags and left with Wolffe to return to the apartment.

The walk back was buzzing with nightlife. People walked to and fro around the two clones, all wrapped up in their war-free uncomplicated world. Safely away from all this chaos, pain, and confusion. Especially confusion.

"Do 'contingency orders' ring a bell to you?" Steele asked suddenly.

Wolffe's mind drew a blank. "What?"

"Never mind, stupid question."

"…Ok," Wolffe responded, after a moment.

Then Steele asked a question of a different topic. "Have you been getting any sleep at all lately?"

"It shows?" Wolffe rubbed the undersides of his eyes, which did nothing to reduce the bags. "Well, it's not that bad. Compared to me and the rest of us here on Coruscant, the Jedi are practically nocturnal."

Steele laughed lightly. "Didn't we use to think they were always nocturnal?" He rewound to his early training years. "Nocturnal, invincible, and all-capable with those flashy swords and hand-to-mind magic?"

Wolffe agreed. "Well, yeah. But that was before the Battle of Geonosis. Before we started getting to know them as individuals and not deities."

Right. Individuals. Some with absolutely horrid personalities and others with beautiful ones. But all were being done dirty by the very government they've sworn to defend. It didn't take a genius to see that.

The apartment's building complex came up ahead. Wolffe remained silent until they were right in front of the entrance and he finally said his parting words.

"Hey. About earlier today…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled like that."

Though Steele felt the apology was unnecessary and a bit sudden, he went with it nonetheless. He shook his head in response. "I deserved it."

No more words were exchanged between the two, and they parted ways. Steele made his way up to the apartment, eager to start curing his starvation and getting back to work. He unlocked the door to the place and entered…

…to see someone already inside.

Aliyah stood facing the giant window on the other side of the room, cloaked and bathed in the city lights. She was fiddling with something in her hands, but Steele couldn't see what until she turned around towards him. His teeth clenched. It was his datapad.

"Welcome back," Aliyah said. There was no tone or fluctuation in her voice. Just a single frequency from start to end.

Now Steele understood Wolffe's sudden apology at the building's entrance. For he was about to become a dead man. Staying tranquil as possible, Steele singlehandedly took out his keycard from his coat pocket and locked the door behind him.

~ O O O ~

It was a rare quiet night at the Temple. And the reason for it being 'rare' was due to the recent chain of events that had the entire planet riled up. However, tonight would be slightly different.

It started when Anakin burst into a small meeting between Obi-Wan, Mace, and Yoda. Smug was written all over his face. "The Chancellor agrees that I should be part of your leading efforts in conducting the cross-studies on the Ringo Vinda parasite."

"Really? And how did that come to be?" Obi-Wan challenged.

"Oh, you know. Just told him I'd make sure you guys aren't trying to exaggerate anything that might make cause controversy."

"Well, we certainly won't be doing any of that, now will we?" Obi-Wan turned amusedly to Mace and Yoda.

Mace wasn't so amused with what Anakin promised the Chancellor in exchange to be part of this. "This cross-study is done as insurance for the Kaminoans' own study results. Having more than one expert in on the case will ensure a low margin for error."

Anakin shrugged. "Yeah well. You never know. Someone might be trying to sabotage—"

Anakin was suddenly interrupted by the entrance of Kit Fisto and Plo Koon. The former had an aura of elation about him.

"Master Yoda, the researchers on Ringo Vinda have finished conducting their studies. They will be flying in with their results tomorrow morning," Kit revealed.

Anakin could hardly believe it. Obi-Wan could hardly hold himself back. "Well, Anakin. Your time as a leading effort of our cross-study was much appreciated. As short as it has been."

Despite what just happened, Anakin wasn't too let-down. The results of those cross-studies were more important. It would be pivotal in helping to find what caused the clones' chips to malfunction. And to prevent that from happening in the future.

~ O O O ~

"Did you eat already?" Aliyah asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

In response, Steele went up to the kitchen table, put his container bags down, and took out the bottle of spirits from amongst the pile—

"Put. The liquor. Down!" Aliyah demanded.

Letting an inward sigh, Steele reluctantly did as told. _All the stars in the galaxy help me._ "We're doing this sober?"

"Hell yes, we're doing this sober," Aliyah said in a scarily calm tone. She began walking over to him from the window. "Besides, if anyone's getting drunk tonight, it should be me."

Steele didn't wait until she arrived at him and swiftly made his way to the den, seemingly composed in demeanour. He thought he'd feel a lot more scared right now. But oddly enough, he didn't even feel remotely panicked. Like he expected this to happen. And he did.

"Wolffe told you, didn't he?" Steele asked, addressing more-so to himself than to Aliyah.

Her intense silence confirmed to him that it was true. Steele wasn't surprised. "I don't blame him. I would've done the same with General Plo if he was in my position."

"And what position is that?" Aliyah asked. She leaned against the den doorway, her hand still spinning Steele's datapad. She looked at it thoughtfully. "Had you came in a second later, I would've flung this from the top of the building."

As if to demonstrate, Aliyah threw the evidence-containing device towards the window on the other side of the den. Steele leaned forward to catch it before it could hit the glass.

He wasn't so amused. "I guess you don't care."

"Oh, I care. Just not about that." Aliyah knew she made her point when Steele too, began spinning the datapad in his hand—though in a more nonchalant way. It wasn't just her who was feeling on edge.

"What are you doing here?" Aliyah finally said. The question seemed more like a statement than a question.

Steele held his datapad still. He saw no reason to lie. All escape routes have been blocked at this point. Might as well face death head-on. "I'm investigating Fives's death. Is that a problem?"

"Yes," Aliyah said, completely and utterly incredulous. "That _is_ a problem. Do you have any idea how I felt when Wolffe told me what you were up to? I hoped so hard that he was bluffing. I mean, why would you intentionally put yourself at risk, trying to pry into a matter so sensitive, that not even the Jedi Council knows the full story?"

She paused for a brief moment. "Commander, you've hurt me…"

Those words pained Steele in a way he hasn't felt since the days of Krell. Aliyah carefully inched her way forward. Every step was precise and light.

"What madness drove you to launch this investigation?" She asked in slow reluctance.

Steele looked at her with a monotone expression to hide his hurt. "Does the madness of preventing another 'General Tiplar incident' count?"

So that's what this was about. Aliyah took a short breath before answering, "What happened to Master Tiplar was a tragic mistake—"

"—I don't need Jedi mind powers to see through that lie, general."

"Well what do you want me to say!?" Aliyah suddenly snapped.

Steele nearly fell back against the desk. She had never raised her voice like that to him before. Nor had she ever looked so upset. It was both shocking and terrifying.

"Do you think this is easy for me?" Aliyah demanded, eyes wide and livid. "Juggling loyalty between the Republic, the Jedi, and our entire legion—you think this is easy? Because it's not! It is not easy!"

"I know that!" Steele shouted, pulling himself together.

"Then why are you making it so hard?" Aliyah demanded.

"How am I making it so hard?" Steele shot back.

"By making me become so damn _attached_ to you!"

A great silence fell upon the apartment. Steele couldn't believe what he just heard. What has once been a speculation and desireful dream, has now become a reality. But…what now? What now? He looked at Aliyah in astonishment, who seemed just as stunned as he was. Neither of them moved or said a word.

Then Steele finally broke the silence with a question of utmost significance to him.

" _Do you regret that?_ " He asked.

Aliyah blinked at him, a little taken by how serious he sounded. Her eyes soon cleared of any doubt or confusion. Along with her mind. And she answered:

" _No_."

And then she strode up to him, and kissed him firm and full.

Steele's datapad instantly dropped the floor. As though struck by over a thousand watts. He grabbed the back of Aliyah's neck, returning the kiss, causing her to react wantonly. The sensation was unreal.

And suddenly, nothing else seemed to matter. Not the war, not the Code, not the dozens of racing speeders outside the window. It all became melted ice in this heated moment of spontaneity and fervency. And it only continued to grow and spur on collective impulse…

And then Aliyah's wrist comm began beeping.

She pulled back slightly, refraining from an endless string of curse words as she did. The comm continued to beep in the background as she spoke. "But I _will_ regret it…if I end up losing you the same way Anakin Skywalker lost Fives. So, here's what I'm going to do." Aliyah raised her wrist that had the still-beeping comm on it. "I'm gonna go outside, I'm gonna answer whoever has the kriffing audacity to call me at this moment, and when I come back in, you will either have packed your things for Kamino, or I will do it for you."

"Do I get a third option?" Steele asked forwardly.

"You don't get a third option, darlin.'"

And with that, Aliyah left the room, then the apartment, made evident by the sound of the door opening and closing behind her. But despite what she said, Steele was going to go by option three by the time she returned.

He leaned down to pick up his datapad from the floor, still drowning a bit in leftover euphoria. "No. But _you_ do, darlin.'"

_**Next time on The Clone's Hero, more developments occur: the cross-study conducted by other scientists have concluded, and the fate of the investigation becomes weighted…** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N. And...I think this is the chapter a lot of you have been waiting for. Well, Happy New Year's everyone! Just a reminder that next chapter will be delayed (I'll try to get it out on time but the likelihood of that happening isn't very high). And of course, remember to kudo, bookmark, or comment if you can!
> 
> I'll see you all next time! :)
> 
> \- MiraLake


	44. Final Discoveries (Investigating Fives's Death pt5)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who knew onboarding week would be so stressful? Well, I sure didn't. But I'm glad it's the weekends now and I can post a new chapter! :)
> 
> *I will reply to your comments on the previous chapter sometime today. Sorry for not doing it sooner.

**Final Discoveries (Investigating Fives's Death pt5)**

_**It gets more dangerous as you near the end** _

Aliyah didn't know why she went all the way back down to the building's front entrance. She only meant to go outside the specified apartment flat, not the entire kriffing complex. She stopped once she reached the streets outside. There, she finally put an end to the obnoxious beeping on her wrist.

" _Korentayer here_ ," she said into her comm, with a little more ire than she would've liked.

"What took so long to answer?" Mace Windu's voice came from the tiny device. Aliyah froze up.

"Master Windu—!"

"You left your post at the Senate five minutes earlier than you were supposed to. You're not allowed to do that," Mace told sternly. Aliyah felt her left eye twitch. She was being called for this? For this!?

"Do know that in these kinds of times, we can't afford to be even the tiniest bit careless," Mace continued.

"Yeah, yeah, I know!" Aliyah quickly responded.

"Because we don't know who we can fully trust. There are things beyond our understanding," Mace kept explaining.

"I _know…_ " Aliyah exasperated.

"Then you should also know that that makes us vulnerable," Mace stressed, his voice getting higher. "The future of our Order has never been in more danger than in these last few years and we cannot let it fall anymore into it."

"And I completely agree with that!" Aliyah said, trying to keep her vigour at a minimum. "I apologize, Master, for making a poorly-judged-kind-of-on-the-fly decision tonight. It won't happen again in the future, I promise."

"Make sure you uphold that." Mace sounded more serious than usual. "And watch that tone of voice you're using," he added warningly. "Goodbye."

"Goodbye!" Aliyah said back. The call finally ended.

Aliyah never thought she'd be so glad to hear the hang-up beep. Vexation exploded inside of her. She stormed up to the pedestrian guardrail and released a loud frustrated bout, alerting a few people passing by.

 _What the kriff was that!?_ Aliyah mentally screeched.

Despite the cool night breeze, her entire body felt like it was on the surface of Tatooine. A million thoughts ran brazenly through her head. _You leave your post five minutes earlier to speak some sense into your partner- &-equal and—and—and YOU END UP GETTING INTO A HOT VERBAL ALTERCATION WITH HIM!?_

Aliyah placed her elbows on the guardrail, resting her face against the palm of her hands. _What happened after that is definitely on me though…_ She closed her eyes, trying to hard focus her thoughts. … _I'm the one who's the Jedi here…_

Seconds of heavy pondering and contemplation ticked by. Then Aliyah finally re-entered the building.

~ O O O ~

In the den of the apartment, Steele decided against his better judgement to search the Holonet for 'what happens if you get kissed by a Jedi'. There was a myriad of answers ranging from topics of expulsion and ex-communication to getting praised for quite possibly having received the kiss of a lifetime. Long story short: he shouldn't have searched this up. He shouldn't have needed to search this up either.

Leaning back in his chair, Steele stared at the ceiling endlessly, deep in thought. _Why the kriff didn't I pull back? She said she has no regrets but we'll see if that's for sure the second she steps back in._ _Why the kriff didn't I pull back?_

The front door opened and Steele immediately sat up straight. He slowly got to his feet and made his way to the main room, where Aliyah was shrugging off her signature brown Jedi cloak. She indolently tossed it on the couch.

"Open up the windows, it's boiling in here," Aliyah said while pulling at the neck of her blue tunic.

"Already did." Steele nodded to an opened portion at the top corner of the large window before them. "If it's still boiling, then I can't help. Unless you've got another layer underneath."

Realization hit Steele like a stun grenade. He immediately wished to take those words back. Aliyah looked at him sharply for a second. But then decided to drop the subject and return to the topic they left off of. "There's still no option three. That was Master Windu on call, and he completely chewed me for leaving the Senate prior to my finish time. This thing is no joke if it's got the entire Council this roused up. You honestly think you can do better?"

Aliyah's voice was near-desperate by the end of the sentence. Steele never liked absolutes. He was always someone who triple-checked decisions and never went anywhere without a backup plan. But in this case, he had make a firm stance.

He gave Aliyah a subtle yet weight-carrying nod and said, "I do."

Aliyah was at a loss for words. For the first time since becoming a Jedi, she understood why attachment was taboo. She barely let out a nervous chuckle. "You're gonna be the death of me."

"Quite possibly," Steele shockingly answered. "If I choose to do nothing."

Though Aliyah only meant that as a bad joke, the way Steele responded, made her see even more into his intentions. And the potential depth of this whole incident. Perhaps a part of her yearned for the truth as well. But not at the risk of losing her most valued one.

"…What's option three?" Aliyah finally asked, after a long while.

"Help me out," Steele said, much to Aliyah's shock. "I'm not asking for anything crazy. Just grant me permission to stay on this planet one more day and then I'll be gone. There's still a place I need to see." Section I-9. That was the place. He looked directly at Aliyah, fully intent on leaving if she refused but deep down hoping that she wouldn't. "One more day. That's all I ask."

Aliyah pursed her lips, feeling conflicted. But she ultimately chose to let in. "One more day. I'll give you one more day. Then you return to Kamino—no matter what."

Steele nodded. He was fine with that. At least now, he'll know it won't be because he chose to turn a blind eye to things. The conversation was now over. And the atmosphere seemed to have settled down a little.

Aliyah picked up her cloak off of the couch and walked past Steele towards the front door. She briefly paused before it. "I still have no regrets by the way."

And suddenly all the doubtful thoughts Steele had from before got erased. So it wasn't just a in-the-heat-of-the-moment-kinda deal, it was real. But Aliyah wasn't so sure if it was mutual now that she had time to reflect on it. She slowly put back on her cloak. "Did you dislike it?"

"I loved every second of it," Steele said. Simple, straightforward, but not untrue. It encompassed everything he felt towards what happened between them.

That was enough to make an improvement on Aliyah's night. "Ok."

She walked out of the apartment feeling much better this time than the last. Steele finally took a something from the stash of food he—no Wolffe—bought. Guilt combined with great amusement hit Steele like a speeder-bike. He began lightly laughing at the situation Wolffe have unintentionally helped transpire.

"Sorry, friend. This one's on you."

~ O O O ~

The research teams from Ringo Vinda flew in bright and early, just as promised. They had some interesting news to share with the Jedi Council, plus a few others that were allowed to let in on this meeting.

"There's no parasite of that kind of calibre native to Ringo Vinda," the head researcher from Corellia stated to all the participants of this meeting. "Any virus, bacterium, or other foreign contaminant we've found is too weak to lay significant damage. They'd be easily taken care of by a standard person's immune system, forget a genetically-engineered soldier's who's supposed to be at peak health."

The researcher's words spread across to the Masters spread across the table. They all reflected intently on it. "So the report from Dr. Nala Se is false," Mace warily concluded. All around him, the Jedi seemed to think so.

"'False' is a strong term, Master Jedi," the Corellian researcher said. He looked over at the head researchers from Alderaan and Naboo. "We tend to avoid that in the scientific community. Though we are curious as to the environmental factors going into Dr. Nala Se's results. Because if her setting was similar ours to when we conducted our studies, it's highly unusual that she'd get a different result from what our three research teams got."

"You guys all got the same results?" Anakin asked. He was one of the others the Council allowed to attend.

"Not exactly the same," the head researcher from Alderaan explained. She held up a hand before Anakin could ask further. "But we all drew the same conclusion from it. There shouldn't be a native parasite on Ringo Vinda with the strength to do what it did to two infected clone troopers."

"Then what do you say happened to them?" Anakin demanded. "Tup and Fives. What happened to them?"

The researchers weren't sure. They gave an objective third-party perspective kind of answer. "Whatever it is that happened to them. We can safely say that it's not due to a foreign biological invader. More than likely, it is something that is already innate to the clones," the Nabooian researcher said on behalf of his two colleagues.

Something already innate to the clones…that would mean speaking with the Kaminoans. They were the clone experts after all. But how trustworthy were they? Knowing that they could present results like this?

"Thank you again, we must," Grand Master Yoda said to the three heads. They nodded in gratitude. Yoda turned to the rest of the Jedi. "Adjourned for now, the meeting is."

All the Jedi began standing up and leaving. Obi-Wan pulled Anakin out by the arm to speak to him about something related to 'decorum'. Plo gently tapped Aliyah on the shoulder to alert her the meeting's over. She was also another of the few allowed to listen in.

"Aliyah? Meeting's over," Plo reminded. Aliyah snapped out of her trance and got to her feet.

The two Jedi walked out from the Temple's meeting room before parting ways. Plo and the rest of the Council regrouped to plan how to move forward with this new information. Aliyah, like many of the other Jedi, made her way to the Senatorial District.

On her way there, she bumped into the very person who responsible for all that happened last night. Wolffe casually walked up next to her as she entered the street block of the Senate. Aliyah nodded at him in acknowledgement.

He lowered his voice. "Were you to speak some sense into him last night?"

The climate began rising for Aliyah again. "Yes…" She answered, pausing for a moment, "…and no."

"What do you mean?" Wolffe asked.

"He's going back to Kamino tomorrow," Aliyah quickly said.

"Tomorrow!?"

"And that's that," Aliyah added. "End of story."

"Wait wait, how were you able to—"

Aliyah turned her head sharply to Wolffe. She sent a him severe warning stare. "We do not talk about last night."

Wolffe was silent for a second. Then gradual shock and horror grew on his face as the worst possible scenarios began coming to mind. "He did something illegal didn't he…"

"WE. DO NOT TALK ABOUT LAST NIGHT." Aliyah repeated with more threat. "Not now. Not ever. Not until the day we die."

The grand entrance to the Senate steps appeared before the two. They gradually split up, each off to do work of their own, all the while trying not to think about consequences from decisions made less than 24 hours ago.

~ O O O ~

Dogma woke up the sound of someone tapping his sleep-pod entrance. He slid himself out, adjusting his eyes to the light. "…What?"

"Rise and shine, beautiful. The commander is waiting on call for us," Compass greeted while kneeling next to Dogma's pod. He slapped him hard the back. "Look alive."

Dogma barely had time to react before being pulled to his feet and then dragged out of the barracks. Compass half-carried him to their usual meeting room where Egad was already waiting with a pulsing holopad. As soon as the pair entered, Egad answered the call.

"Commander, it's good to see you again. What are you calling us for?" Egad asked as Compass sat Dogma down at a nearby bench.

"I'm letting you know I'll be coming back tomorrow," Steele informed. "So stay put, stay safe, stay out of trouble until I return. Then we can start connecting the dots."

On the trio's end, they were surprised to hear of their commander's earlier-than-expected return. Egad was curious. "Really? That's sooner than I thought. Have you been able to find anything significant?"

"There's something sinister surrounding this incident. I'm not sure how far up the chain of command this goes, but the Kaminoans are involved, that I can say for sure," Steele's voice grew more serious by the end of the sentence.

The weight of the situation suddenly became very present for three of them involved. Dogma woke up some more. He moved into cameraview. "How big do you think this incident really is?"

"Dangerously big." On Steele's end, he was out on the streets of Coruscant, dressed in a different attire and carefully making his way through the morning crowd of ignorant people. "Dogma, you were right to suspect foul play behind Fives's death."

Hearing that made Dogma feel relieved by extremely pained at the same time. He was right. But it hurt that he was right. "So he didn't betray the Republic after all?"

Steele shook his head. "He betrayed it. For a right reason. And I'm gonna find out why."

Finally, Steele reached his destination. The same place he was trying to get into yesterday: Sector I-9. Warehouse location. This time, there were significantly less guards and officials on duty. Most likely due to the fact the Chancellor called for almost every representative he had overseeing this incident to return to the Senate at once.

This was a chance Steele couldn't have asked more for. Whatever discovery Fives made, he's gonna have to sail out there to the stormy sea haul it back. And he had to do it with him coming out alive too.

"By the way, the general knows about what we're doing," Steele nonchalantly added.

"What!?" The trio exclaimed at the same time. Suddenly, they felt very lucky they were systems away from the Corusca sector.

"That's why I'm coming back earlier," Steele explained. He saw another pair of guards leave the warehouse premise. "Anyways, remember what I said. Stay put, stay safe, stay out of trouble. I'll talk to you guys soon. Bye."

Steele ended the call. He put his holopad away and took a deep breath, surveying the area. _Alright, let's do this._

~ O O O ~

Senator Riyo Chuchi wondered if this was how it felt like: being a parent—albeit for someone who's not too far from her in age. She walked up behind to Aliyah, who was hunched over at a desk and drowning in the sea of summary documents the researchers from Ringo Vinda provided.

"Take a break, Master Korentayer, you look exhausted," Senator Chuchi put an assuring hand on Aliyah's back. She gently pried away the datapad Aliyah was holding, as well as took a few others lying on the table. She set them aside in a locked desk drawer. "I haven't seen you at my place for quite awhile. You should come back again. Get some actual sleep."

"I'm not sure if I'll be able to sleep at all these coming nights…" Aliyah slouched back in her chair.

"Well. All things will come to an end soon," Senator Chuchi offered as comfort. "Perhaps now that you've received insights from a third-party, it will end sooner than later."

Aliyah nodded lightly, hoping that that would be true. Her mind wandered from topic to topic, all related to the incident of last week. But most of her focus was on the events that transpired from last night. And the dozens of intriguing items she discovered inside Steele's datapad. From things like Nala Se's report on inhibitor chips to Dogma, Compass, and Egad's involvement in this dangerous inquest. But there was one thing that stood out to her above all the rest…

"Senator Chuchi?" Aliyah suddenly asked.

"Yes?" The Pantoran Senator looked over.

Aliyah wasn't sure why she deciding to ask this in the first place but she did. "Have you…ever heard of the term 'contingency orders?'"

That the thing that stood out the most amongst Steele's notes. Because of how familiar yet foreign those words sounded. Senator Chuchi touched her chin, thinking for second. "Contingency orders…yes I have, actually."

That answer that took Aliyah by complete surprise. "Wait. Really?"

"Yes, come with me, I'll show you what's meant by that." Senator Chuchi gestured for Aliyah to follow her to her office.

~ O O O ~

Steele made sure to triple-check the entire area before attempting to make his entrance through the back gates. Thankfully for him, the entry and exit ways to the warehouse were all left unlocked to make it easy for inspectors to come in and out whenever they pleased. The inside of the building was large, hollow, and messy. All sorts of crates and equipment were strewn about, most likely from the days of rummaging through to destroy any hidden evidence.

The first thing Steele did was enter the surveillance room. It was an unlikely hunch but he'd rather be careful in his search than rushed. He turned on the system to check out the collection of security holo-recordings in chronological order.

"Deleted, deleted, deleted," Steele read as he swiped across the footages to get to the ones that dated to last week. But there was nothing to play. "Hmph. Not surprised." He went back out.

A few guards came in to retrieve some datapads left on top of the crates. Steele hid safely away from sight until the guards left, chatting casually as they did. The search for Fives's discovery resumed.

 _There's gotta be something here._ Steele carefully probed and examined whatever he could get his hands. _These people…authorities, officials, representatives…they're not investigating at all. They're destroying evidence._ He attempted to get into a locked datapad but put it down after failing once. _I'll have to erase the footage of me being here once I finish._ That reminder became etched to the back of his head as he continued searching about. _Otherwise…_

Steele's thoughts came to a stop when a faint black object caught his eye. Had he looked up a second later, his angle would've caused his eyes to completely miss that. It was almost perfectly hidden between the corner gap two stacked crates. He went up and carefully took the object out, impressed by how secure it was positioned in place. _Signature move of an ARC going dark into enemy territory to retrieve strategic info…_

The object was a lite-type holorecorder. Steele has found and retrieved the discovery.

~ O O O ~

Aliyah waited patiently for Senator Chuchi to pull up on the computer what she has on contingency orders. It's been a good couple of minutes now, since Chuchi herself isn't too sure where information like this would be stored in the database. But finally, she managed to find the document containing what she believed Aliyah meant by contingency orders.

"Here. 'Contingency Orders for the Grand Army of the Republic: Order Initiation, Orders 1 Through 150.' Does that help with whatever you're wondering about?" Senator Chuchi asked after displaying the large-sized small-font document on screen.

Aliyah looked up and down at the document, eyes wide. "When was this created?"

"At the start of the war," Senator Chuchi explained. "They were created for the sole purpose of handling potentially catastrophic events that jeopardize the safety and well-being of our citizens. But we have yet to use them. These rules are meant to be carried out swiftly and diligently by the Grand Army of the Republic upon activation."

"The clones?"

"Yes, the clones are the enforcers of these emergency protocols in times of immediate disaster," Senator Chuchi confirmed. She raised a brow at Aliyah. "I'm surprised you do not know this. I thought since the Jedi were acting as military generals they'd be aware of this kind of compilation."

"This is my first time seeing this…" Aliyah slowly spoke. She couldn't take her eyes off the computer screen. "There doesn't seem to be a lot of details for each individual order."

"Oh no. That's something only the Chancellor has full access to. These protocols are too dangerous and too powerful to be shared with the likes of any politician," Senator Chuchi said. "For now, only he has the right to activate an order."

So the full list and activation of the 150 Contingency Orders was something only the Chancellor had. Or was it? "What about the Kaminoans?" Aliyah asked. "Since they're in charge of clone creation and regulation, shouldn't they also know about these protocols?"

"I'd think they do. It was never explicitly stated, but it would make sense if they did have knowledge about these emergency orders," Senator Chuchi agreed.

That was all Aliyah needed to hear. She bid her thanks and farewell to Senator Chuchi before walking out of the office and down the halls of the Senate. Once she entered a quieter area, she pulled out her holopad and attempted to reach contact with Dogma.

The call was eventually answered after a long while, and the distorted hologram of Dogma appeared on the communication device. "…General…" He tentatively began. Images of Egad and Compass flickered in and out behind him. "We're already aware that you know…of 'this…'"

"Then there's no need for discomfort, I'm not calling to berate you," Aliyah said reasurringly. The hologram of Dogma began to clear up.

"Really? Then what are you us calling for?" He asked.

"Apparently you three have been successful sneaking around HQ so far. Looking for anything related to the deaths of Tup and Fives." Aliyah paused for a moment, debating whether or not to do this. "I'm gonna need you three to look into something that may be related to their deaths. Keyword: '150 Contingency Orders for the Grand Army of the Republic.' Have you guys encountered something like that yet?"

"Yes, but. Not in great detail," Dogma said. He thought back to Nala Se's document which stated chips were to ensure absolute obedience when carrying out emergency Republic orders.

"I see. Well, this is something that's not quite in the field of medical science but more so related to politics," Aliyah explained. Perhaps that could narrow down their places to search. "I need to go soon, but take in consideration what I said. And focus on that keyword it's important."

And with that, the conversation ended. On the trio's end, they were left with a new lead to pursue. "So, '150 Contingency Orders for the Grand Army of the Republic.' Who do you think would have something like that?" Dogma asked.

"The general said it's more so related to politics than to health and biology." Egad pondered. He was almost afraid of saying what he has in mind. "So…the person most likely to have anything remotely related to this would have to be…the…um, the Prime Minister. Lama Su."

Dogma dropped his holopad. Egad gave an unfortunate head nod. Both of them looked over to Compass, their break-in and out expert, who looked half-burried under the pit of denial. "I did not sign up for this…"

Panic shot up on Dogma and Egad's faces.

"But I'll do it!" Compass quickly added. Instant adrenaline rushed through his veins. But it wasn't a rush of excitement this time. He exhaled audibly. "This is gonna be my biggest job yet. Once this is all done and over, you two better owe me for the rest of your lives."

~ O O O ~

Steele immediately checked to make sure the recorder was still functional. And it was. He shakily turned it on, letting the lite-quality holo-images play before him. But at least there was sound to accompany the video.

The distorted holograms of three people were shown: Fives, General Skywalker, and Captain Rex. Steele watched in intrigue as the latter two stepped into a ray shield trap sprung by Fives. The jittering and anxious ARC-Trooper of the 501st walked up to the trap, attempting to convince Skywalker and Rex of his intentions.

" _I'm not crazy! Please…please, just…just hear what I have to say," Fives said._

_Anakin tried to calm his soldier down, but to no avail. Fives insisted on them listening to him and he won't settle for anything else. Fear and panic was obvious in his voice. "I was framed because I know the truth! The truth about a plot—a massive deception!"_

" _By whom?" Anakin asked dubiously._

" _Well, there's a sinister plot in the works against the Jedi. I have proof ot it! I can prove that everything I know is true!" Fives yelled, barely able to contain himself. "Beyond a shadow of a doubt!"_

" _Show me the evidence."_

" _The evidence is in here." Fives touched the side of his head, causing Rex to uneasily reach for the back of his own. "It's in here. It's in all of us, every clone!"_

" _What is it?"_

" _Organic chips, built into our genetic code. To make us do whatever someone wants, even kill the Jedi! It's all in here!" Fives was on the brink of exploding._

Memories of the first night of interrogation with Separatist Senator Kerch Kushi rushed back to Steele. He remembered something disturbing the renegade Separatist had told him. "… _Just imagine: the faces of the Republic citizens and the Jedi, when they see a clone commit mindless mutiny."_

So that's what Kushi meant. Then that also meant whatever those Separatists were holding in their datachip was related to this sinister plot Fives is talking about. Steele kept watching the recording play out.

" _Fives, we are listening to you. We only want to help," Rex tried to convince._

_But Fives wasn't having any of it. "How do I know you're not tricking me? How do I know it won't be a trap? The Chancellor will try to kill me! I promise you that!"_

" _The Chancellor?" Anakin became curious._

" _He's in on it!" Fives revealed. "I don't know to what extent. But I know he orchestrated much of this. He told me in the medical bay!"_

" _He told you? When you tried to assassinate him?" Anakin shook his head in disapproval. "You have gone too far, Fives. The Chancellor is incapable of what you claim."_

" _He is!" Fives hit peak anxiety. "I swear to you, General. You have no idea—"_

The front gates to the warehouse suddenly opened wide and someone entered. Steele barely had time to react before a loud voice shouted. "Who's there? Show yourself!"

It was the voice of a fellow clone.

_**Next time on The Clone's Hero, the final pieces of evidence are laid out in the open and the dots are being slowly connected, to form a picture none of them could've imagined…** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N. Sorry about the chapter delay, it was impossible for me to write at my usual pace this week. Setting up a software project for the first time is always the hardest part of development. But the challenge is also something I fully love and embrace as a comp-sci student. Quick note, Nala Se fabricated a parasite native to Ringo Vinda, not a virus (I dunno why I wrote virus, probably bc I'm so done with coronavirus) so I'll be revising some previous chapters to fix this minor issue.
> 
> Anyways, please bookmark, kudo, and comment if you can! I look forward to seeing you all again! :)
> 
> \- MiraLake


	45. The Last Piece (Investigating Fives's Death pt6)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the slight delay, this is my first time uploading during a workday. :)

**The Last Piece (Investigating Fives's Death pt6)**

_**The bigger picture isn't always pretty** _

Steele slowly inched away from view as the newcomer clone walked into the warehouse. He weighed his options between escaping or fabricating a story convincing enough for the clone on duty to accept. The clone on duty entered Steele's field of vision. It was the Commander of the Coruscant Guard Division.

"I saw movement! Come out and make it easier for both of us!"

 _Kriff, I do not know his name…_ Steele anxiously looked at the distance between his current hiding spot and the back exit gate. Then he looked at the blaster holstered tightly on the guard commander's side. He ultimately decided to step out.

"Sorry. Sorry I was just retrieving something from the surveillance room," Steele said while keeping his hands out in the open. The holorecorder was sitting safely in his pocket. "I was told no one would be here."

The guard commander looked at Steele suspiciously. "Why were you hiding?"

"Like I said, I was told no one would be here. So I thought it meant I shouldn't be seen by anyone while coming in and out—mistake on my part," Steele plainly explained.

"Who do you report to?"

"General Aliyah Korentayer. 304th division. I'm her commander."

"'Commander', eh? Where's your gear?" The guard commander crossed his arms.

"I was on break when she told me to come here and retrieve a security footage from last week." Steele fought hard to keep his apprehensions at bay. He couldn't afford to slip up. "But I guess she didn't get the word that all footages from last week have been deleted. So I was gonna head back out and tell her of this update but then you came in. And, well. Here we are now."

The guard commander did not relax one bit. Despite having his helmet on, Steele could tell this guy was not fully convinced. In fact, it looked like this guy was actually starting to get a little anxious himself. Though for what reason, Steele did not know.

"Can I leave now?" Steele asked cautiously.

The guard commander was mute for a brief moment. Then he nodded only once. "You may go."

A small weight lifted off of Steele's chest. He slowly turned around and took a miniscule step towards the front gate. He didn't think he'd be let go of this easily, not that he was complaining about it or anything it's just that—

Steele's blood ran cold.

He snapped around in time to grab the guard commander by the wrist. The blaster shot that was meant for him redirected to the far end of the warehouse instead, leaving a burn mark on the wall. He twisted the weapon out of the guard's hand before being violently shoved back into a pile of crates. What ensued from there was a desperate brawl for control over the firearm.

Steele didn't know it was possible to feel this much anger again. _Had I turned a millisecond later, I would've became Fives 2.0!_ He tackled the guard commander down, pushing the blaster a safe distance away from them, then threw out the second one holstered on the guard's belt.

The nameless guard immediately retaliated. Steele felt a flash of pain reverberate through his skull as the guard's helmet connected with his jaw in a backwards headbutt. He made a lunge towards the blaster. But he wasn't fast enough.

Recovering quickly from the jaw hit, Steele sped across the floor and kicked the blaster out of the guard's grip. He stomped on it hard, breaking its trigger. The struggle continued.

They crashed into stacks of crates and equipment, making a mess of the ground. All sorts of industrial items were strewn about. It was now more difficult to move around. Then in one sharp motion, the guard commander aimed for Steele's goggles, using a metal bar he picked up off the ground during their scrimmage. Deja vu hit Steele well before the bar of metal did.

 _Of course._ Steele brought up his arms to catch the bar before it could make contact with his life-dependent piece of equipment. _They always aim for the impairment!_

He spun the bar out of the guard's grip and into his own. Without hesitation, Steele whipped the bar across the guard's head, knocking his helmet off. The identical face beneath was finally revealed. But in spite of that, Steele whipped the bar a second time, sending the guard crashing to his knees. He pivoted around him, grabbing him by the back of the neck and slammed his head onto the floor. He then picked up the second blaster he had initially thrown away at the start of the fight and held it to the guard's—

"—STOP!" Another clone's voice filled the air. Steele instantly looked up. Two additional Coruscant Guards entered the scene.

"Stop! Please…" The clone who just shouted repeated himself. He held his blaster shakily at Steele, looking back-and-forth between him and his unconscious superior. "He's been through enough."

That did little to cease Steele's anger. He kept his finger on the trigger. "Yeah, I'm sure he's been through hell and back."

"He didn't have a choice alright!" The blaster-holding subordinate yelled. He assumed Steele was just another clone here to exact justice for what happened to the 501st ARC-Trooper. "What? You think he actually wanted to shoot? He did what he had to do that night! What we were all told to do! It was that or…or…" The subordinate suddenly paled, trembling in dread. He swallowed down hard. "He did what he had to to keep _all_ of us in the Chancellor's good graces! You wouldn't understand. You never served a day under that guy."

Steele's anger slowly ceased. Despite what the subordinate just claimed, he did understand. He understood all too well what it was like serving a monster. His fist clenched tightly. And he muttered, "I wish I didn't understand, but I do."

Lowering the blaster, Steele reluctantly helped the nameless commander back to his feet. The two subordinates rushed over to take him from Steele's arms. "Get him to the med-bay," Steele said to the first subordinate; the one who held a blaster to his face. "He's not allowed to speak of any of this when he wakes up. Otherwise I'll come back and finish off where we left from."

The first subordinate nodded intently. "He won't be speaking of this when he recovers, we'll make sure of that."

"We can make up a story for what happened here and delete the security footage," the second subordinate added for extra measure.

Steele shook his head. "No need, I'll delete that myself." He still felt extremely uneasy about this.

"Hey!" The first subordinate turned to Steele. His stance became one of gratitude. "Thank you. For understanding."

Ironically, the thanks didn't make Steele feel all good over his decision. He gave a small grunt in response before going to the surveillance room to delete the footage. Every step he took felt oddly heavy for some reason. He left out through the back exit gate, while the two subordinates carried their commander through the front. Cries of shock and concern filled the premise. More people started rushing into the sector.

Steele sped up his walking pace. He felt his entire body go numb. He felt around his pocket for the holorecorder, making sure it was still present. And it was. _Good, it's still here…that's good._ Then the guilt hit him like a pile of bricks.

~ O O O ~

Compass did not sign up for this. When he agreed to join this investigation, it was mainly to support Dogma, who was going through a hard time at that time. But he was in too deep now. And as crazy as this whole has gotten to, he couldn't back out.

Prime Minister Lama Su was just finishing a conversation with Master Shaak Ti down the hall. As soon as it was over, he went in the direction of his office. That's when Compass stepped out.

"Good day, Prime Minister," he greeted politely.

"Do I know you?" Lama Su asked, looking down.

"No, but you will get to." Compass made sure his comm was still functional beneath the sleeve of his left arm. From their end, Dogma and Egad could everything being exchanged between the two. "I've been wondering lately what'll happen when we win the war."

"Really? You're this confident that we will win?" That got Lama Su's attention real good.

"Nope. Not if you keep downgrading the new batches that are coming out." Compass knew exactly what he was doing. Lama Su did not look so amused anymore.

"I beg your pardon?"

Compass rolled his eyes. He gestured for Lama Su to follow him. "Here. I'll show you what I mean…"

And just like that, the Prime Minister was led away from his office towards the training facility. Step one was complete. Time for step two.

Dogma and Egad immediately opened the cover of the vent they were hiding in and dropped down to the floor of the Prime Minister's office. They had as long as Compass could keep Lama Su distracted to find anything related to '150 Contingency Orders for the Grand Army of the Republic'.

"You check the log computers, I'll check the communication's panel. If we find anything that needs a password, skip it for now," Dogma said to Egad. The latter nodded.

They immediately got to work. The Prime Minister's office was large, sleek, and clean. It was exactly the way the two clones imagined it to be. Large computer screens took up a portion of the office wall and a holoprojector—likely for important confidential calls—sat in the middle of the room. There were all sorts of storage cabinets built into the wall in a wall-safe style.

Dogma went on the holoprojector's terminal pad. He looked through the recent conversation histories. "'Meeting with Chancellor', 'Meeting with Chancellor', 'Meeting with Chancellor', 'Meeting with Nala Se?' What?" He looked at the dates, they were all within the current week.

"Dogma!" Egad called his partner-in-crime in over to the logs computer. Dogma rushed over.

"What?"

"Take a look at this." Egad didn't need to say anything. The computer screen did all the talking for him.

_Day XXX.1 - 'ARC-Trooper-5555 killed on Coruscant. Waiting further orders from Chancellor Palpatine.'_

_Day XXX.2 - 'Commenced cleanup and destruction of all traceback evidence. Security of the Republic Contingency Orders must be maintained.'_

_Day XXX.5 - 'Jedi suspect nothing so far. Correlation between inhibitor chips and contingency order number 66 remain undisclosed.'_

_Day XXX.7 - 'Jedi called in 3rd-party scientific communities to look into Ringo Vinda parasite. Could be problematic. Chancellor says to have Dr. Nala Se on the ready for discharge.'_

Dogma's eyes drew focus on the line containing ' _contingency order number 66'_. "There! That specific order right there! We need to find what that is."

Egad nodded in agreement. He turned his head to the ceiling quickly, scanning around for anything shiny. "What'd Compass say about the security cams again? 'Cause I'm 99% sure we're being recorded right now."

"He said that he'd erase the footage as soon as this job is over," Dogma reminded. He walked away from the computer. "He said it won't be difficult to do, that he'll do it as soon as we get out with our needed info. So c'mon! We need to hurry!"

While the two-man search team of the trio continued their task, the one-man diversion team—Compass—continued his. He was keeping Lama Su busy. Convincing him that the standards for training new cadets have fallen since the early days of the war. And he did that by literally nitpicking every little mistake he found the cadets doing amidst simulation environments.

"You're too tense when you pull up your rifle. Lift up and back towards the centre of your eye and just shoot!" Compass air-demonstrated to a training squad cadet.

"But then how am I supposed to aim!?" The cadet shot back.

"You aim the second your eyes lock sight on the target!" Compass explained.

"That makes no sense!"

"Try hitting that moving target right there." Compass pointed at a dummy super-droid a good distance away. "Try hitting that. Don't follow my advice and we'll let the others judge."

The cadet gave Compass an unbelievable glance before reloading his rifle and taking aim at the dummy droid with precise movement and accuracy. His entire squad commended his display. Then Compass took over the rifle and, within less than half of the time it took the cadet, shot in the general direction of a second dummy super-droid. But he wasn't going for the clanker.

The shot hit a straggler grenade from a pile lying next to the super-droid. A massive explosion occurred. It took out the super-droid—along with several other droid sims—immediately. The cadets were more horrified than impressed by the demonstration.

"YES! That's how you aim!" Compass cried ecstatically. He quickly turned around to make sure Lama Su was still there. And he was. Watching on with the bare minimum of being concerned.

Time continued ticking by.

In the office, Dogma looked through the final place that wasn't password locked. But there were still no traces of anything more related to contingency orders. "Well that proves it. We can't find anything useful unless we break into a computer. Question is, which one do we break into?"

Egad's eyes wandered across the screens. Then he stopped at the terminal corresponding to Lama Su's personal drive.

"This one!" Egad walked up to it. Dogma followed close behind.

"Why that one? Shouldn't it be somewhere more specific?"

"In case of emergencies, the Prime Minister won't have time to save all the drives. He'll have to choose which ones to erase from the access of enemies, and which ones to save," Egad explained his reasoning. He started the terminal up, the password authentication alert came onscreen. "I'm putting my credits that this is the drive he'll try to save."

The last time they had to enter a password for a non-accessible resource, they had Compass with them. But now they were forced to do it themselves. Egad purposely typed in random combinations a couple of times to force the password hint to appear.

"' _Lies or revelations draft sinister incubations down into overt undermining situations'_ —the kriff is this!?" Egad threw his hands up. Next to him, Dogma was just as lost and frustrated.

"Maybe it's some kind of poem…? Or old piece of literature? Or…?"

Egad speed-read the hint again, but to no avail. "We're gonna have to brute force this."

"No!" Dogma urged. "What if we trigger some kind of security lockout mechanism?"

"Well do you have any better ideas?" Egad was starting to feel his anxiety peak.

"Urrrrggh, let me think!"

Dogma paced away from the computer screen, holding his temples still. He walked back-and-forth on an invisible line. Panic grew with every passing second. Eventually, he stopped pacing in exasperation and looked back to the screen. And then it hit him. The new further perspective was all that it took for him to realize the answer.

Or at least he hoped it was the answer.

"It's an acronym of some sort, I swear on Jango's head it is!" Dogma took over the keyboard at the terminal. "Here. The first few letters spell out 'LORD.'"

Just as said, the first four letters of the weird nonsense sentence hint spelled out _Lord_. Which meant the next few letters spelt out…

"' _Si-di-ous…'_ " Dogma typed it all in, not wasting time to think about the potential meaning behind this password choice. The authentication alert turned into its accepted state, much to the relief of the two clones. All the data to the drive was now accessible. "Alright, contingency orders. Nowhere to hide now."

Lama Su didn't know why he was actually following this clone around and allowing him to disrupt training sessions that were currently undergoing. Perhaps he was deep down craving for some entertainment in the recent light of things. Besides, this clone was giving some solid feedback in their current training model. He was actually considering to make some revisions in how cadets will be trained from now on.

Compass finished giving a crash-crash course in evading enemy tanks. He was getting worried by the lack of updates from the search team's end. "Alright, lesson's over! Hope everyone learned something useful today! We wanna come back from our first deployment to talk about with live folks, not with ghosts, keep that mind!"

The groups of different training squads all grunted or were silent in answer. They did not want to take that crash-crash course ever again!

Compass made his back up to Lama Su, who looked more intrigued than he did at the start of the tour. "I thank you CT—"

"—And another thing. Nicknames are a thing you should encourage at an early age," Compass added. "Some individuality can be the difference between a win or loss."

"I see." Lama Su said plainly. He checked the time at the top of the training room's wall. "Well, I've been side-tracked for too long. I need to get back to some actual work now."

 _NO!_ Compass bit his lip to prevent himself from actually yelling that out. "Wait! There's a few more things you need to see! Sir!"

He ran after the Kaminoan Prime Minister. While at the same time, whispering into his sleeve-covered comm, " _Hurry the kriff up!_ "

On the other end, Dogma and Egad got the news. The former searched faster than ever through the data system while the latter restored the place back to how it was previously. Egad then opened the vent cover to prepare for their soon-to-be exit.

"Dogma, remember what the commander said!" Egad shouted to his friend. "It's not worth it if we get caught!"

"I know I know! I just—" Dogma's eyes went wide. "—found it!"

Egad instantly rushed over as Dogma opened up the compendium-like document of choice onscreen. _Contingency Orders for the Grand Army of the Republic: Orders 1 through 150_ was its title. Dogma stuck in his datachip to the copy port and let the computer do the rest. The copy process started.

"This document is huge!" Egad remarked. "We're not gonna have time…"

"We'll have time!" Dogma insisted. He began turning through several pages of the compendium, each detailing a single order. Order 4, 5, 37….Order 66. He stopped there. And his heart stopped with him.

_Directive of Emergency Order 66: In the event that Jedi Officers act against the interests of the Republic, authorization to remove them by lethal force will be granted to overall GAR after receiving specific orders verified as coming directly from the Supreme Chancellor. GAR command will revert to the Supreme Chancellor until a new structure is formed._

Neither Dogma nor Egad could believe what they were reading. More sounds came from the comm listening on Compass's end. They snapped out of their trance. The Prime Minister was approaching.

"I have urgent things to attend to, so I ask you again, politely, to leave me be," Lama Su said with a hint of warning to Compass.

"Alright, alright! It's just um…" Compass scratched the back of his head, trying to think of a way to stall time without drawing too much suspicion. "…I admire you, sir…so much."

Lama Su's poker-face remained unchanged. "Is that so?"

Inside the office, Egad made the hard decision of pulling out to the datachip midway through copying and hauled Dogma towards the vent. "We saw what Order 66 is, that's good enough! C'mon!"

"Wait, we can just copy over the pages specified for Order 66! It won't take long, it shouldn't!" Dogma rushed back to the computer. "A hard copy will ensure concrete relevancy more than our words ever will!"

Lama Su was in the hallway leading up to his office. Compass couldn't believe it had to come down to this. He took out a training blaster he managed to sneak from the simulations room. _This is gonna hurt like a bitch._

Compass pressed the barrel against his leg and pulled the trigger. He fell to the ground, screaming in pain. "AAAAAAAAHHHH!"

Lama Su—and everyone within the vicinity—snapped to the fallen clone trooper on the floor. Holding his leg in pain. Shaak Ti, who happened to be nearby, immediately went up to aid Compass. "Get more help!" She ordered a few bystanding clones, who were stupefied by the situation.

"Doctors, we have a bit of an…accident in section E-3, outside my office," Lama Su said into his personal comm used to specifically contact the Kaminoan medical team. "A clone got shot in the leg by a training blaster…No, I do not know how it happened. Just get here and put him out of his agony."

Dogma finished copying over the specific pages and pulled out the datachip. He shut down the terminal before rushing with Egad up the vent cover. They crawled to the remote area where they first entered and dropped back down before rushing back towards the barracks. The commotion outside the Prime Minister's office had gotten crazier.

Dogma turned his head around to see more Kaminoan doctors going up to the scene. More cries of pain echoed from there. Dogma winced at the sound of them.

_Compass, you absolute madlad, I owe you my lifetime. Double my lifetime._

~ O O O ~

Aliyah managed to get a lucky break this evening so she decided to accept Senator Chuchi's invite for dinner at the upscale. It was a rare moment for her to finally let loose and enjoy a bit of life again. They ate, laughed, and steered clear of any of talk related to the current state of things. This was supposed to be a night of relaxation. Some time later, they left the restaurant and Chuchi took them to an entertainment lounge/rec place. More words, food, and drinks were exchanged. As well as some new names and faces.

All too soon, the evening came to an end. Aliyah hugged Chuchi goodbye before parting off. "See you around, Senator. Thanks for everything tonight, I had fun."

"Your welcome. Have a good night," Senator Chuchi said, returning the hug before walking towards her apartment district.

Aliyah carried herself more upright than she had lately and walked down towards Wolffe's building complex. She had to pay Steele a visit while she was in a good mood. And before she gets called back to work again. The apartment was quiet when she entered, faint moisture from the direction of the bathroom filled the air.

"Steele, you here?" Aliyah asked, walking towards the centre of the main room.

There was a muffled 'yes' from behind the bathroom door. Then silence again. Perhaps it was due to the stress and paranoia of recent events but Aliyah felt that something was off in the way he said 'yes'. She asked again to make sure it wasn't just her imagination.

"Were you able to find what you were hoping for at the place today?"

The door slid open. Steele stepped out, clothed, damp from getting out of the shower. He was still in the midst of drying his hair which was now darkened to a deep wine-red colour. He walked up to Aliyah.

"Yes," he said in response to her second question.

Aliyah wasn't being paranoid. Something was indeed wrong. "You alright? Did something happen at the place? Hey. Hey, what's wrong?"

Steele removed the towel from his head and tossed it in a laundry bin. He turned back around to face Aliyah, seemingly ready to make conversation. "Sorry. I'm just not feeling too good right now. I did find what I wanted at the place, perhaps more than what's needed but, um. Yeah, I don't feel too good."

Hearing that pained Aliyah. She craved to know what happened but also understood if it was something uncomfortable to talk about. Instead, she focused on what she could to help. "Would you like if I stayed here for awhile?"

"Yeah, sure. I'd like that."

The mood lightened a bit. Not wanting to see the intense city lights from the giant window, the two moved to the study room. They sat on the carpeted floor, which was surprisingly softer than the daybed couch that was in here, and just talked. The conversation started small. Then gradually grew larger, and longer as topics began slowly stringing themselves together. It felt nice. Too often, they only talk about war and the stuff related to it that they never talk about the things outside.

Steele eventually felt the guilt slip away enough for him to start at least hinting at what happened at the warehouse. "I've wondered, how the survivors from Umbara felt after the friendly-fire decption."

"And why's that?" Aliyah slowly asked.

"It's unsettling. Shooting someone who looks exactly like you. Like you know it's not you, but it _is_ also you, at the same time." Steele took a moment to let the guilt wash away some more. "It's almost like shooting yourself. You just killed yourself."

A heavier weight came down on both of them. Then Aliyah scooted closer and spoke again.

"Whatever it is that happened today. I'm gonna be selfish just this once." She looked directly at him, depth in her eyes. "I'm really glad you're here right now."

 _If you're gonna be selfish just this once, I guess I may as well._ "I'm really glad I'm here too," Steele finally admitted. The feeling felt foreign, but not in a bad kind of foreign-way. He returned the direct look to Aliyah.

"And I'm really glad you're here."

_**Next time on The Clone's Hero, the dots have finally connected and the picture is formed, now it was only a race against time and power…** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N. This chapter was fun to write. Sorry if it didn't progress as much as you would've liked but I still have a few chapters left and wanted to give more focus on the final break-in-and-enter sequence. Remember to bookmark, kudo, or comment if you can! :)
> 
> See you all next time!
> 
> \- MiraLake


	46. Connecting the dots (Investigating Fives's Death pt7)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a reminder to everyone who's still wondering, I'm not planning on diverging from canon. But that doesn't mean I can't build large castles in the existing sandbox. :)

**Connecting the dots (Investigating Fives's Death pt7)**

_**Chaos and lies are not mutually exclusive** _

Steele woke up under the covers of Wolffe's bed. He had no idea how he got here. Or why he didn't bother removing his goggles before going to sleep. Last he remembered, he was sitting on the floor of the study room talking with Aliyah— _Aliyah_!

Sucking in a breath, Steele sat up straight and checked his free side of the bed. Aliyah was sound asleep, lying on her back. Her cloak draped messily over on top of her shoulders and her hair fell free from its usual elastic, letting loose strands of blonde frame attractively around her face. She really did stay the night.

 _I could get in a lot of trouble for just having her here_. A complacent rush of warmth filled Steele's core. _Totally worth it_.

Smirking to himself, he turned aside and gently got out of bed, aiming to head towards the den and check up on notifications that he might've missed overnight. That's when a groggy voice cut through the morning silence.

"…what time is it…?"

Steele turned around to see Aliyah lightly stir awake. She yawned and crawled towards the edge of the bed, reaching for her holopad that she'd left the ground. "Oh jeez, you should've woke me up sooner…" She let out another yawn.

"You looked like you needed the extra slumber," Steele said simply. He paused for a moment. "By the way, how'd I…well, end up here?"

"You don't remember? You fell asleep halfway-through your internal monologue and I took the liberty of putting you somewhere more comfortable." Aliyah pressed through her holopad. Searching for any missed calls of top priority. "Annnd…I also took the liberty of staying the night. Sorry."

_No. Don't apologize for that._

Aliyah turned off her holopad. There was just one urgent missed call. And it wasn't something she was too in particular surprised about. "I need to head back to the Temple for some updates. Apparently, Dr. Nala Se will be coming over soon to have a 'formal discussion' with the Chancellor and all of us about these recent events."

Hearing that again brought the whole atmosphere back down to reality. Steele remained where he was. Aliyah somewhat gracefully tumbled out of the sheets. She put on her boots. "What time's the next ship for Kamino?"

"Earliest's one's after noon, 1300 hours." Steele made sure to do his research on this the night before.

" _Don't_ miss that one," Aliyah said intensely. And suddenly the atmosphere was boosted up again.

Steele held back a small laugh. "Don't worry, I won't."

"Good. Otherwise I may test out the theory of Force-throwing someone potentially to the other side of the Galaxy." Aliyah stood up. She ran her hands through her dishevelled hair and retied it using an elastic from her wrist. Once done, she gave Steele one last farewell smile. "I'll see you around again. Hopefully."

~ O O O ~

Dogma was never great at reading people's vibes. But he was 100% sure Compass was imagining all the different ways he could throw him into the Kamino ocean if it wasn't for the wheelchair he was currently stuck on. Egad walked a safe distance adjacent to the two. He watched in half-amusement as Dogma pushed Compass towards their usual meeting room.

"Alright, Compass, let's show you what we've got from the office," Egad said as soon as they entered.

"I swear, it'd better be something WORTHWHILE!" Compass raised his voice in a sudden crescendo, causing Dogma behind him to jump. "I _shot_ myself in the _leg_ for the two of you! I won't be able to walk properly for the next 3 weeks or something! If we get deployed anywhere, anytime, 'til then, I will be a walking. Mass. Of clanker food! And they don't even consume anything!"

"Ok, ok, Compass! Just calm down—" Dogma attempted.

"—No! Don't tell me to calm down! You got me in this in the first place! Don't even talk to me! Don't talk to me! You ungrateful—"

"—Compass!" Egad shouted. He handed over the datapad containing the partial document he and Dogma retrieved from Lama Su's office. " _This_ is what we got. I think it's very worthwhile. Probably worth two of your legs getting shot."

If it wasn't for the words 'contingency order' being included on the doc, Compass would never have let that comment slide. But it was there. And it hooked him immediately. It took a few good few seconds of reading the entire thing before Compass finally looked back up again. His expression was overwhelmingly different.

"Holy kriff."

Egad nodded in understanding. He felt the same way when he first saw it. "I know, right? Dogma insisted on getting a copy, that's why you're wheelchair-bound for now. Still feel like it's not worthwhile?"

"Shoot yourself in the leg before asking me that again," Compass said, glaring. "But yeah, this is pretty worthwhile. This is insane!"

"This could why Tup shot General Tiplar," Dogma theorized. It was what made the most sense given what they know so far. "It's what the 'good doctor's' summary report said, no? Inhibitor chips had a purpose in ensuring absolute obedience when it came to us deploying emergency Republic orders. Well, we know now that they're interchangeable with 'contingency orders', so I think that what happened was that somehow, Tup got accidentally activated to obey this…'contingency order 66'. He saw General Tiplar…as a danger to the Republic."

"…Because she was a Jedi," Egad added.

"Precisely," Dogma agreed.

Compass held up a hand to pause the thought process. "Hold on. That order was supposed to be activated by the Supreme Chancellor only and no one else. How did Tup manage to get his activated at Ringo Vinda?"

"He didn't. It was the tumour…" Dogma's eyes became cleared up as slow realization began hitting him. "…It was the only thing being told to us that was the truth. Everything else is a lie."

The realization hit harder than all three of them expected. It felt like a giant boulder suddenly appeared from the sky and attempted to squash them all to pieces. Compass was the first to attempt to lift that boulder up.

"The commander's coming back today. We'll update him on this the second he arrives and he can update us on his findings," Compass suggested.

"I've got a better idea." Dogma retrieved his holopad. "Let's update him on this right now."

~ O O O ~

Steele spent most of his morning watching and re-watching the holorecorder containing Fives's last stand. _This recorder…was most likely planted there by Fives himself. As insurance in case his general and captain didn't believe him._ It was a last-ditch effort to spit at the Chancellor, the Kaminoans, and all who are involved with this conspiracy.

Fives made sure that he got the last laugh.

And boy, did he ever.

Suddenly, Steele's holopad had an incoming call. He put the recorder away and diverted his attention to answering the transmitting holopad. Dogma appeared on top of the device seconds later.

"Sir." The clone began, almost looking as if he didn't know where to start. There was just so much to say. "I think. We may have figured out what Fives died for."

Steele nodded. Though he had this recorder of proof here, he was curious to what those three discovered over at HQ. "I think I may have figured it out too."

"Really? You managed to uncover something over there?" Dogma asked quickly.

"Yes, I'll play it for you." Steele reached over the desk for the holorecorder. He took out the memory component and inserted it into the holopad's video transmission port. "It's a recording…I think Fives left it on purpose."

The holorecorder video played on top of the communication device, allowing the three clones back at HQ to see exactly what it was their commander found. Dogma, especially, focused on the holoimages being played out before his eyes. He never thought he'd feel this weighted seeing Fives again, even if it was just a hologram projection.

" _I was framed because I know the truth! The truth about a plot—a massive deception!" The blurry miniature hologram of Fives shouted._

_Inside the ray-shield, the hologram of Anakin looked dubiously at his questionable ARC-Trooper. "By whom?"_

" _Well, there's a sinister plot in the works against the Jedi. I have proof ot it! I can prove that everything I know is true!" Fives insisted. "Beyond a shadow of a doubt!"_

" _Show me the evidence," Anakin gestured._

" _The evidence is in here." Fives pointed at the side of his temple. "It's in here. It's in all of us, every clone!"_

" _What is it?"_

" _Organic chips, built into our genetic code. To make us do whatever someone wants, even kill the Jedi! It's all in here!"_

Dogma swore he felt time slow down. He and the rest of the trio. They were right—or more so, he was right. He was right in suspecting that Fives won't turn against the Republic without good reason. He was right in crying out foul play or forgery against Fives's and Tup's service records. He was right in believing that someone of high authority was purposely reinventing these chains of events that occurred not more than a week ago.

And that person was the Chancellor.

"… _The Chancellor will try to kill me! I promise you that!" Fives exclaimed._

" _The Chancellor?" Anakin raised a brow._

" _He's in on it!" Fives quickly added, hoping that his general would believe him—as crazy as this accusation was. "I don't know to what extent. But I know he orchestrated much of this. He told me in the medical bay!"_

" _He told you? When you tried to assassinate him?" Just as Fives expected, Anakin didn't believe him. "You have gone too far, Fives. The Chancellor is incapable of what you claim."_

" _He is!" Fives hit peak anxiety. "I swear to you, General. You have no idea."_

_Suddenly, several loud noises filled the area. Fives turned his head in panic towards the direction of where it was coming from. Rex insisted on Fives letting him and Anakin out to lessen the intensity of the situation but it was futile. A single shot rang through the air and moments later, Fives realized where the shot had hit. Or rather, whom, it had hit._

Dogma watched in horror as his former-comrade, defender, and brother, fell to the ground. Into the arms of Rex. The story of Fives being shot by the Coruscant Guard Commander wasn't false either. Steele ended the recording right there.

 _It should be enough for Dogma to get the closure he's been needing ever since the start._ Steele followed-up on the trio. He needed to get their thoughts on this discovery. "Well?"

Dogma was barely able to speak. "I…I—"

Seeing that his friend needed a minute or two to himself, Compass gently pulled Dogma aside from the camera-view, and let Egad takeover instead. Egad answered Steele's follow-up. "You managed to find this at the place Fives was last alive at?"

"Yes. Like I said, it was most likely planted there by himself." Steele put the memory component back into the holorecorder. "He was hoping that whoever found it, would have the decency to not turn it into the authorities."

"And you managed to find it."

"I managed to find it," Steele repeated, remembering his last strained conversation with Rex in the hotel restroom. "I brought it back to shore for everyone to see."

Though Egad was curious as to what Steele meant by that, he decided to update him on their findings at Kamino instead. "Dogma and I got something of high value from the Prime Minister's office at the request of General Koren—"

"—You two broke into the _Prime Minister's_ office!?" Steele hardly recognized his own voice. Anger, fear, and anxiety, filled him. "What have I said about being careful?"

"Yeah, well, it wasn't like we could blatantly refuse the general's request." What Egad said was only partially true. They would've broke in eventually, regardless of Aliyah's request. "And besides, what we got was worth breaking into his office twice just to make sure we retrieved everything we wanted."

"No one got hurt in this little heist, right?" Steele made sure.

An awkward silence filled the two ends of the transmission call. It wasn't until Compass came on camera—looking a lot shorter than he was before from Steele's viewpoint—that the silence ended.

"I mean, if you don't count being wheelchair-bound for the next few days or so as 'getting hurt', then no. No one got hurt."

Steele rubbed the front of his forehead, holding back a sigh. He decided to move on from this. "Tell me what you guys got."

In an instant, Egad sent the partial document containing Contingency Order 66 to Steele. The latter reached for his datapad. Eyes began opening wide at the contents he saw onscreen.

"This is just one of the 150 similar orders we found in Lama Su's office," Egad explained. "The general said something about '150 Contingency Orders for the Grand Army of the Republic', and this what we found. This thing isn't a deception plot or conspiracy by our enemies. It's a lie hidden in plain sight by our own government!"

"Fives is right. The Chancellor is in on this," Compass added. "The Chancellor, the Kaminoans, who knows how many others in the upper echelon are aware of this?"

Steele finished looking over the pages addressing Order 66. Everything was coming together in his head. The aimless execution of General Tiplar. The existence of inhibitor chips and their correlation to the death of Tup. The heavy cover-up of Fives's death and the fabrication of the Ringo Vinda parasite story. And now, the revelation of contingency orders and their role involving the true nature of inhibitor chips.

It hit Steele harder than it hit the three at Kamino when they first linked everything together. This order…it would've caused him to indeed 'commit mindless mutiny'. With these chips installed in all of them, it didn't matter what they thought, or how well they got along with their Jedi leaders, as soon as the Chancellor gave the word he would've—

_Bang!_

A disturbing image filled Steele's mind. He shook it away immediately, never wanting to see that again. "This is—I have no words for this."

"This is indeed what caused Tup to execute General Tiplar," Dogma's voice said. He came back on camera, now looking better than he was before. "The reason why he didn't need the Chancellor's order was because his chip malfunctioned, causing his trigger to activate prematurely. And Fives," Dogma took a moment still his rising anger, "discovered the correlation between the chip and General Tiplar's unwarranted death, and was killed because of it."

A slight chilling breeze blew over the clones. It felt as if it came from the furthest peaks of the Hoth World. Because they have gotten to the bottom of this. This was the truth Fives died for.

"The Jedi don't know about this." Egad suddenly said, his eyes gradually widened with realization. "They don't know about this!"

Panic began seeping through the trio. Whatever disturbing images Steele had seconds ago was now being subjected to them. Steele calmed them down.

"They don't know about this…" he paused for a brief moment to get their attention, "…yet."

Dogma knew exactly what his commander was thinking. "You need to call the general! Like right now this instant!"

Steele didn't need to be told twice. He already had his commlink out and ready for the call that'll be the call of the century. He prepared to end his current transmission with the three clones. "You three, don't get into any more acts today. I _truly_ mean it this time. Once I get back, we'll be having a lot to deal with. So erase any traces of you sneaking around HQ. I'm talking about sign-outs, break-ins, and security footages—make sure they're all dealt with. I'll see you all later today. Good luck!"

"You too, commander!" The trio said in partial unison. The call ended right there. But the high adrenaline didn't.

While Steele initiated the comm call to Aliyah, the three back at Kamino began retracing everything they did over the past two days. They had to make sure they didn't leave anything that could potentially lead back to them.

Compass looked to Egad and Dogma. "We've pretty much covered up our tracks from our break-in's-and-exits. So I think things are fine."

"Yeah…" Dogma answered unsurely. He couldn't quite grasp it, but. He felt as if they forgot to do something absolutely critical…

~ O O O ~

At the Temple, the Council was discussing amongst themselves and a few other Jedi, about the discussion Dr. Nala Se would be having with the Chancellor—and all of them—sometime today. Now that they have more clarification on the Ringo Vinda parasite, they can start asking more significant questions.

"Remember, the goal is to learn whether or not the Kaminoans forged the study results, or truly did discover a parasite that caused Tup and Fives's chip malfunctions," Mace Windu reminded everyone in the room.

They all nodded. Anakin brought up a hand. "And if they forged it?"

"Then they'll answer to the Chancellor. And he'll decide what to do with this crime of false reporting," Mace answered.

"My question is: why would the Kaminoans falsely say there was a parasite in the first place?" Obi-Wan asked aloud. "It's not like they'd benefit from lying vs telling the truth. We're aware of these chips' existence by now. And from what we've seen it seems like they truly do play a purpose in keeping the clones sane from these wartime horrors."

All around the room, heads swivelled and nodded. It was clear something fishy was going on regarding this whole incident since the death of Master Tiplar. But to this day, they're still not clear on what happened. Or more importantly. Who's behind this all.

The thinking and talking between the Jedi was soon interrupted by the sound of a comm beeping. Everyone turned to see Aliyah checking the comm on her wrist. She apologized for the sudden disturbance.

"Sorry, I need to take this." Before anyone could say something of decorum, Aliyah walked out of the meeting room, and into the Temple halls. There she answered her caller. "This is Jedi Knight, Aliyah Korentayer."

"General…We need to talk."

"Steele!" Aliyah was genuinely surprised. She assumed that he'd be ready to leave Coruscant soon, with everything he needed. She lowered her voice. "I'm kind of in the middle of something right now…is this urgent?"

"It's worse than urgent." Steele's voice had a sense of foreboding to it that Aliyah never heard before. It made her extremely uneasy.

"Why? What do you mean?" She demanded.

"Get to my place. Right now. You _need_ to see this."

Making a split-second decision between potentially displeasing the Masters and ignoring this thing of high urgency from her commander, Aliyah ultimately decided to go with the second option. "Alright, I'm on my way."

She ended the call. Then made her way back to the meeting room, thinking of a fathomable excuse to get out of the Temple without drawing too much attention.

~ O O O ~

It was now Egad's turn to push Compass around on the wheelchair. And he wasn't sure if he preferred his friend being able to walk over not being able to walk. Now that Compass was immobile for an acute period of time, he was more demanding than he was before.

Everything from a canteen of ice-cold water to the freshest pair of heat packs for his hands, Compass made Egad get it for him. Dogma was only a quarter interested in this little scurry between the two. The remaining three-quarters of him was thinking about that something critical he was so sure they forgot to do…

 _We've signed out of every terminal we went on, left no pieces of ourselves wherever we broke into, bumped into no-one of suspicion during those heists…what am I missing?_ Dogma thought as the three of them sat in the mess hall.

Egad had had enough of Compass's demands. "Just because you're immobilized doesn't mean you're obligated to have everything served to you."

"Considering the circumstances I underwent to be in this condition, I'd say I am," Compass casually shot back. "After all, I did it to make sure you two got out unscathed."

And then it hit Dogma. He instantly shot up from his seat, fear written all over his face. He leaned down towards Compass who was sitting across from him. "How do you get into the HQ surveillance room?"

"What? Why—"

"—We didn't erase the security footage!" Dogma mouthed fiercely to the two. Egad stopped breathing altogether. Compass felt sick to his stomach.

Originally in their plan to infiltrate Lama Su's office, Compass would be the one to erase the security footage once the job was over. But due to an extreme turn of events (Compass shooting himself in the leg as a major diversion tactic), Compass was left unable to fulfil that part of his duty. And combined with the horrible discoveries made inside the office that led to revelations of tremendous size, Dogma and Egad let this crucial step slip from their minds as well. So the security footage of them sneaking around Lama Su's place, rummaging through his things, was on the system for one entire night and half a day.

Compass immediately asked for Dogma's holopad and began typing instructions on how to enter the surveillance room non-suspiciously and delete the security footage. He handed it back to Dogma once finished.

"Follow these instructions and you should be able to delete the footage of you and Egad from yesterday. I've made it as clear as possible. Go!" Compass said between clenched teeth.

Dogma took off without a second wasted. He ran through the halls, around corners, through doors, and into the section of HQ that housed the surveillance control area. Right as he was about to enter the room, a clone of familiar aura stepped out.

It was one of the 304th's most reliable captains and it's former substitute commander, Kal. "Dogma! What are you doing here, you look out of breath. Are you ok?"

"I—I just need to retrieve something from this room," Dogma quickly said. "Commander's orders."

"I haven't seen the commander around for days," Kal responded, eyeing Dogma curiously. "Did he call you personally to get him something from here?"

"Yeah! He said it was urgent, that he needed it as soon as—"

"CT-7701?" Another voice entered the conversation.

Both Dogma and Kal looked up to see two Kaminoans approach them. Kal, whose number was just called, nodded his head in acknowledgement. "Yes, that's me."

"Come with us. Your presence has been requested by the Prime Minister," the Kaminoan who initially called out to Kal, demanded.

That took Kal by surprise. He looked between the Kaminoans and Dogma, then obeyed the request. "Alright. Just give me one second." He turned back around and tapped his card to open the door to the security room. Dogma was speechless. "I just need my soldier here to retrieve something for me, since I won't be able to go in and get it myself now that I've been summoned."

The Kaminoan didn't care. He just needed Kal to come with them. "Let us go."

Kal gave Dogma one last look before walking off with the two Kaminoans to meet the Prime Minister for whatever reason, he didn't know. Dogma was grateful to Kal for letting him into the room. That crossed out the need for steps one to four. Now he just needed to get on the system and delete the footage of desire.

Following Compass's steps five to seven, Dogma successfully got into the chronological list of security recordings, and swiped away until he got to the one from yesterday afternoon/evening.

The holorecording of him and Egad dropping into the office and breaking into the computer made him sweat with trepidation.

"I can't believe I let this happen…" Dogma muttered to himself as he deleted the footage.

It was now gone forever. Along with any traces of him or Compass and Egad sneaking around HQ in search of evidence for something they're not allowed to look into. Sighing in relief, Dogma exited the security room, hoping that that would be the last of his worries.

~ O O O ~

Palpatine was striding down the medical bay. He had some important business to attend to down there. It had been a very peculiar day for him so far. Starting in the morning when Prime Minister Lama Su and Dr. Nala Se called him for an 'update of most interesting news' to him. And were they ever right in calling it that. That update was indeed interesting to him. Interesting and disturbing. It was enough for Palpatine to start taking action at once and summon Dr. Nala Se to Coruscant effective immediately. His plan was only beginning to roll. But still, it never hurt to get some more closure that he had a good reason to launch this plan.

Down at the medical bay, workers and injured alike greeted Palpatine in utmost respect. As expected to the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic. But he wasn't here to give get-well wishes, he was here to see his recently brought-in head of the Coruscant Guard: CC-1010.

Nicknamed Fox.

"Your Excellency." The medical workers surrounding Fox's bedpost and two additional guard subordinates greeted politely.

Fox himself said the same a second later. Though sounding more strained than the rest of them. "Your Excellency…"

"I heard you were awake so I came to see you," Palpatine said in respectful demeanour. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," Fox said, barely making contact with the Chancellor's gaze. It was clear he didn't want to have this conversation right now. "A little vertigo here and there but I'm fine."

Palpatine proceeded to ask the question of utmost magnitude. "Can you tell me what happened at the warehouse at Sector I-9?"

To say Fox wasn't surprised to hear this from Palpatine would be an understatement. He knew he'd be questioned about this the moment he woke up. He was grateful for his two men to tell him the truth of what had happened at the end of the warehouse scuffle. And he was grateful, that someone else besides himself, understood the hardships of serving a psychological menace like Palpatine.

"Just a couple of goons. Possibly employed by enemy spies or just people who want to know what's happening in general. Anyways, they weren't able to get anything of importance," Fox lied.

For awhile, Palpatine said nothing. He just stood there with his hands behind his back, looking through this clone commander who was supposed to obey him no matter how high the cost. Then he ordered everyone to get out of the med-bay.

"Please leave us, all of you."

It took some minutes for the workers to move injured patients out of the room and even longer for them to bring along any equipment that was needed to keep them stable. But soon enough, the bay was empty. Save for Fox and Palpatine.

The air suddenly felt very thick. And a cold chill dropped down from out of nowhere. Palpatine slowly diverted his attention back to Fox. "Now…let us try that again. Shall we?"

A sinister smile curled upon his face. Along with a brief flash of yellow in his eyes. And in that instant, Fox knew he wasn't imagining things anymore. All those years of serving here at the Senate. All those off-put feelings that something was undeniably, unequivocally terrifying about the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic. He was right in having those feelings. And suddenly, Fox thought back to a term the Jedi would use to describe their life-bound archnemeses.

"'Sith…'" Fox breathed, the term sounded so foreign to him. "You're the one they're looking for…"

Palpatine nodded, bringing his hand up. "Yes. But it's not like you'll remember anything after this encounter."

A splitting pain suddenly erupted through Fox's head. It was as if someone was trying to force their way inside.

"What happened at Sector I-9?" Darth Sidious demanded.

_**Next time on The Clone's Hero, the conclusion is reached, the truth dug up, and those who are aware of this have already begun their counterattack…** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N. Next chapter is the final chapter of this arc. And then, we'll be done with the penultimate arc of this story. There will most likely be a hiatus between next chapter and the Final Arc. How long will be? I'll give you the details the next time I see you. :)
> 
> Remember to bookmark, kudo, or comment if you can!
> 
> \- MiraLake


	47. Knowledge vs. Power (Investigating Fives's Death pt8)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter of this arc. More info on when the next arc will come will be in the end-of-chapter notes. Enjoy! :D

**Knowledge vs. Power (Investigating Fives's Death pt8)**

_**Those who know the truth are a danger to those who hold unlimited power** _

Nala Se had arrived on Coruscant. She was immediately escorted to the Chancellor's office where she is to meet with him prior to the time of their 'formal discussion' with the rest of the Jedi Council. Though she was curious as to why she was ordered to bring along an entire team of medical workers with her.

"Chancellor," Nala Se greeted upon entering the office. "My company and I have arrived. Why exactly did you need them here for?"

Palpatine didn't turn around from the window he was looking out of. He answered Nala Se with his back turned to her and everyone else, "Take them to the intensive care ward of the medical bay. The clone designated as CC-1010 is currently there. See what they can…do for his 'current condition.'"

"In your call, you said that he was in a near vegetative state," Nala Se said. "How did that come to happen?"

"That is none of your concern." Palpatine turned around from the window and looked at the lot of Kaminoans harshly.

He did what he had to to get the truth out of that clone and even more so to make sure he wouldn't remember what happened to him. It was a risky move: exerting that much Force influence to the point of near mind destruction and it was a move Palpatine did not wish to do again. But ever since Lama Su showed him the security footage of the two clones rummaging about in search of contingency orders…

Palpatine lowered his glare and flicked his wrist at the medical workers. "Just see if you can restore him back to normalcy. Or at least as close to normalcy as can be."

Nala Se immediately complied and ordered her medical workers to go treat the near vegetative Fox in the intensive unit ward. Now, it was just her and the Chancellor of the Republic. Speaking on matters of high confidentiality.

"The Jedi would recognize Force influence damage when they see it. Best heal the clone quickly," Palpatine warned.

"It will be done, Your Excellency," Nala Se promised.

"Good." Palpatine walked up closer. "Now, onto more important matters. Have you provided the list of designation numbers to the Senate Guards as tasked?"

Nala Se nodded. "Yes. The list of designation numbers corresponding to officers of Sergeant or higher has been provided to them. They can now easily identify any clone within a 5 feet distance. And know if it's one of their prime targets for arrest."

"And the clone designated as CT-7701?" Palpatine made sure not to leave this part out. For this was key to his plan. "Have you put him underway?"

Nala Se recalled Lama Su confirming to her that 304th clone captain, CT-7701, was indeed handled with earlier this morning. She nodded again, "Yes. Everything is set in motion at this point."

"Not everything yet." The air turned chilly as Palpatine paced about his office, running over every nook-and-cranny of his counterplan to this most recent disturbance. "You're positive the clone designated as CC-3484 has been in touch with his general while here?"

"Absolutely." Nala Se said with a confidence she rarely had in the face of Palpatine. "When you mentioned to me on call about the warehouse scuffle, I wasn't surprised at all to hear he was the perpetrator."

"And why is that?" Palpatine questioned.

Nala Se put her hands together. "Let's just say…it is highly suspected that he harbours feelings of infatuation towards his close Jedi colleague."

A small chuckle formed at the base of Palpatine's throat. And gradually grew into obvious laughter. He shook his head, clearly amused. "First, it was one clone who took after his general a bit too much. Now, we have another one, who appears to have fallen in love with his." Palpatine walked past a silent Nala Se, darkness emitting from him. "What do you have to say to this?"

Keeping her fear at bay, Nala Se slowly and steadily spoke, "We failed to consider the level of the Jedi's influence over the clones. We never thought such situations like these would've happened."

"But it did. And we're going through it right now," Palpatine spat.

Nala Se held herself together. "Yes. Your Excellency."

Seeing that he instilled enough intimidation in the Kaminoan doctor, Palpatine walked back towards his desk. "The Jedi would be wanting a better story from you this afternoon. I do hope you managed to come up with a better one."

"I have," Nala Se said, almost too suddenly. "It ties in very well with yours and the Prime Minister's counterplan. It should convince them to drop this incident altogether…even with the detaining that'll take place soon enough."

Palpatine smiled and waved his hand. "That is all I need to know."

~ O O O ~

Aliyah got the building as fast as she could. She needed to see this thing of high urgency that Steele demanded to show her.

Entering the apartment of destination, Aliyah locked the door behind her and rushed up to Steele, who was in the den. She barely had time to do a greeting. "Hey! I'm here. What is this thing that you said you needed to show me?"

Slowly and carefully, Steele lifted up the datapad containing the pages detailing Order 66 from the compendium of 150 Contingency Orders for the Grand Army of the Republic. He had a grim look on his face.

"This." Steele handed the device over. "Take a good look at this."

Aliyah tentatively took the datapad from Steele's hand and began reading through it. Her eyes grew wider and her heart thumped faster with every word she processed. Electricity jolted through her body. _Jedi officers act against the interests of the Republic…remove them by lethal force…verified as coming directly from the Supreme Chancellor…authorization will be granted to overall GAR…_ Those were just a few key sentences that almost did her undoing. Her breathing intricated and her body shook. She looked up from the datapad.

"W—What is this?"

"The reason why this whole mess started in the first place," Steele said ominously.

"What?"

"It's a directive for taking out potentially dangerous Jedi issued to the entire clone army…by order of the Chancellor…" Steele elaborated. He knew he was making sense when Aliyah had the look of realization in her eyes. "Only, the Jedi don't need to be dangerous in the first place. It only matters the second he activates the trigger."

"How is this related to the whole Ringo Vinda mission?" Aliyah asked.

"It's the catalyst for what happened there." Steele moved in closer, emphasizing the gravity of the situation. "You're familiar with the chips in our heads at this point, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, forget about whatever was said to you about those chips because I can't guarantee it's true," Steele quickly added. "These chips are made to ensure we don't get a choice when it comes to executing this directive. It's to prevent hesitation in taking out our Jedi leaders. Which explains why Tup did what he did."

Inside Aliyah's mind, the pieces were slowly coming together. And formed an image better than anything the Council had ever made in the past week or more. She quickly reached her presumed conclusion.

"Let me get this straight: these chips are made to have you all mindlessly execute this order, which says to take out any Jedi onsight," Aliyah repeated, sounding calmly anxious.

Steele nodded. "Correct."

"And the reason why Master Tiplar was killed, was because Tup's chip malfunctioned, causing a premature execution of the order."

"That's right." Steele could tell by the way she was speeding up her words, Aliyah was gradually getting more and more on edge. She took a moment to catch her breath.

"And Fives was killed because he knew too much about this. The Chancellor ordered his shoot onsight warrant to silence him from speaking to the right people about what he knows…Which is what you've shown to me just now."

Steele slowly confirmed it. "Yeah."

Without warning, Aliyah smashed the surface of the desk with her fist.

The table top now bore a visible mark from where her fist made impact with it. She repeated this a couple times more before finally relaxing and re-collecting herself once again. All of her pent-up frustrations was at long last released. This revelation had done its damage to her and it was tremendously massive. There was no undoing for this wound in her psyche. She turned back to Steele, looking more alarmed ever, since the start of this war.

"You. Head back to Kamino this instant." Aliyah sounded more desperate than demanding. And when Steele looked like he was about to say something, she quickly cut him off. "I will NOT have you on Coruscant when I present this stuff to the Masters. There's no knowing what might come to you. Or Dogma. Or Compass, or Egad, or anyone who could be associated back to us."

Steele understood. This was a hefty situation that neither he nor anyone in the army could ever imagine themselves being in. He nodded fervently. "I'll board the next ship back and help erase anything that the three might've left behind in their heists. You focus on letting the Council know—don't worry about anything else."

Aliyah took a deep breath. "Good. Then I guess we're clear on what to do?"

"Clear."

"Alright!" Aliyah tightened belt of her Jedi robes, double knotting its ropes and tucking in any loose ends. "You head to the hangar, I'll head to the Temple! We've got no time to waste, so let's not dawdle about. I'll see you once this all done and over and not a moment sooner. Goodbye!"

And with that, Aliyah took off out the front door. Steele immediately re-geared himself and grabbed his all communication devices from the desk surface. He needed to prepare for the trip back to Kamino. Absolutely nothing of importance can be left behind. This was the last stretch to the finish line…and then…And then everything will be revealed. Finally.

The door to the apartment suddenly opened again and Aliyah rushed back inside. Steele looked at her in confusion. "Did you forget something?"

That question was answered when Aliyah reached out and kissed him the second time since one night ago. It was quick but deep and left the impact she was hoping it'd have on the both of them. She soon pulled back and they returned to their former more serious demeanours. Any traces of bliss was gone in an instant.

"Alright, _now_ let's not dawdle. I'll see you later!" And she ran out the front door a second time, adrenaline pulsing through her veins as she raced against the ticking clock. Steele felt likewise.

~ O O O ~

Egad and Dogma were taking turns pushing Compass around HQ. All three of them were on edge ever since realizing the security footage from the Prime Minister's office wasn't deleted immediately. They didn't want to assume the worst, but it was hard not to think of that.

"You said Kal let you in just like that?" Compass asked Dogma a second time, regarding his story of going to the surveillance room to delete the footage.

Dogma nodded while pushing Compass down the hall. "Yeah. He even made up the reason of having me go in there to get him something." There was a brief moment of reflection in Dogma's thoughts. "I'm pretty sure he saw right through me."

The two other clones of the trio contemplated on that. Egad spoke, "We probably owe him a better explanation once this is done and over with. After the commander's returned and everything is handled properly."

Dogma grunted in agreement. "Agreed."

"Whoa. What happened to you?" A new voice joined.

Another fellow clone of the 304th, Vito, approached the three from the front. He looked at Compass in his wheelchair, concerned and amused at the same time. Compass gave a nonchalant shrug in response.

"Oh you know. Accidents happen…especially in the training facilities."

Vito cast him a dubious glance. "Uh-huh. I can only imagine what had happened there." He turned his attention to the rest of the trio, moving on from the initial topic of interest. "Anyways, have any of you seen Kal around? He and I were in the middle of a discussion before he left to get some stuff from the surveillance room. Said it wouldn't take long. 'Give me a minute or two' he said. Well it's been way longer than that and he hasn't even called me to let me know of his whereabouts."

Dogma was honestly surprised hearing that. How long did meetings with the Prime Minister usually take? "Well, Kal was summoned to the Prime Minister's place. I bumped into him outside of surveillance and a few Kaminoans came up to say he's been requested by the Prime Minister. I think he's still holed up there."

That answer gave Vito some temporary relief. "Well, at least I know where he is now. Anyways, what have you three been doing lately?"

And then suddenly, a loud booming shout broke through the vicinity.

"THERE! THAT'S FOUR OF THEM!"

The four clones instantly swivelled their heads around. A group of blue-armoured Senate Guards was marching up towards them, identification meters and binding materials in hand. Before any of the clones could ask for clarification, they were each grabbed and immobilized in a harsh detainment-like fashion. Mass confusion broke out.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Vito demanded as he felt his wrists get locked in heavy-grade handcuffs. "What are you doing!?"

"What's the meaning of this!?" Egad also asked in futility.

"Let me go!" Dogma shouted. He did not need to go through this again. Not since the aftermath of Umbara trial…

Compass, who was simply handcuffed to his chair, was too shocked to even emit a word of defiance. Because deep down, he knew why this was happening. His thoughts came true when one of the Senate Guards cuffing Dogma up harshly explained their circumstances.

"You're all under arrest. On suspect for treason against the Republic and conspiring with the enemy." The guard pulled Dogma upright from the wall he was pinned against. "You can save your 'I didn't do it's' and feeble explanations for later. Take them away!"

The Senate Guards dragged the four handcuffed clones down the halls of HQ towards their ship in the hangar. Eyes of shocked clone bystanders stuck on the entourage passing by while the Kaminoans expected just as much.

All over the building of Kamino's headquarters, Senate Guards wandered in hunt for their targets. Breaking into any room they came across and checking the clones' designation numbers with their specialized idenfication meters. And everytime a clone matched a number on their meter's list of designation numbers, the guards would brutally detain him without a chance for questioning. Whether the clone was eating in the mess hall, amidst a training demonstration, or even sleeping in their barracks pod. If his number made a match, he would be swiftly pinned down and cuffed.

Cries of complaint, resistance, and demands echoed all across HQ this day. But not a single person could do a thing to stop it. Because this was an issue directed by the Chancellor himself. And crossing him would be equivalent to a death sentence.

The clones whose numbers were on the list of targets to apprehend were the officers of the 304th. Along with the three prime exceptions of CT-5140, CT-2281, and CT5304. AKA Dogma, Compass, and Egad. The rest of the legion got the news that from now until an unspecified date in the future, they will be "placed under the direct watch of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine."

Or at least that's what the head Judicial of the Senate Guards said to them.

In other words, they will be heavily monitored for their every word, thought, and action, 24/7. Until the chain of command gets re-established.

As the investigative trio got escorted to the hangar—along with several other members of their legion—deeper realization bore into them. Dogma felt this especially. _We didn't erase the footage in time…we definitely didn't erase the footage in time…_

~ O O O ~

A fraction of the Council Masters prepared to head off to the Senate for the upcoming Nala Se discussion. They were walking down the Temple steps, discussing amongst themselves about what might come out of this meeting, when suddenly they were approached by a band of Senate Guards.

"Masters Jedi," the Judicial at the front of the group of guards said in feigned politeness. "We are here to retrieve a traitor amongst your ranks. By order of the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic."

Confusion spread out amongst the Masters. They were dismayed and appalled by such words. Mace Windu shook his head. "I'm afraid you must be mistaken. We have no traitors amongst us."

"You would be wise to not defend this renegade," the Judicial warned. "Be appreciative that the Chancellor has decided to deal with her exclusively apart from the rest of your 'honourable' Order."

"Who?" Mace demanded.

"Jedi Knight, Aliyah Korentayer."

Plo has heard and seen many things since the start of this war, but this one right now takes the cake. But just then, he caught sight of something—or rather, someone—appear down the long path of the Temple entryway. The rest of the company soon caught on what he was looking at.

Aliyah stood on the pathway before them. Her gaze shifting from the guards to the Masters. She attempted to take a step forward. "Masters, I need to—"

"Jedi Knight, Aliyah Korentayer. You are under arrest for high treason against the Republic." The Judicial plainly said as he had the Senate Guards attempt to apprehend her. "Please do not put a resistance or we will be forced to use excessive means of transporting you."

"No. No please wait!" Aliyah shook off the cuffs that was attempted to be put on her. "Just give me one minute to let me say what I need to say! Masters!"

"This is preposterous!" Plo Koon stepped down towards his former Padawan, but was warningly stopped by two Senate Guards. "Aliyah is incapable of living up to such accusations. I refuse to believe otherwise."

"It doesn't matter what you believe, it only matters what we were told and our orders," the Judicial argued.

Aliyah continued to attempt to reach her former Master and say her revelations. "Plo! I know the truth! Everything the ARC-Trooper from the 501st said was true! He wasn't insane!"

"What do you mean?" Plo quickly asked.

"The chips! The execution! The orders!" Aliyah now understood what Fives felt in his last moments alive. "150 Contingency Orders! Order six—"

The Senate Guards swiftly put a silencer mask on Aliyah. They succeed in handcuffing her and proceeded to start dragging her away.

"I demand that you let her finish what she was going to say!" Plo was beginning to feel the years of tranquility he built up for situations like this, beginning to crack. A few more of the Masters also stepped down from the steps, concerned about what was going on. Several onlookers, Jedi and Temple employees alike, stopped what they were doing to witness this troubling scene.

The Judicial returned his attention to Plo, his expression mild but threatening. "My orders, which are from the Chancellor himself, override any requests you or the other Jedi Masters tell me to do."

And with that, the entourage of Senate authorities left. With Aliyah in custody. None of the first-hand witnesses could believe what they've just seen.

~ O O O ~

Steele, for some reason, began feeling waves of chills run up and down his back for the past several minutes. It's been happening since he was walking down towards the off-world hangar. And only got worse the second he walked inside. There, the ship for Kamino was landed with its ramp lowered. Patiently waiting for any more authorized passengers.

Just as Steele was about to step foot onto the ramp, he was stopped by someone calling his designation number.

"CC-3484."

Steele turned around to see the barely-familiar face of Judicial Wilhoff Tarkin. The man was leading an entourage of Senate Guards straight towards him. He gave Steele no chance to speak as the guards encircled their target for arrest. "Come with us. You are hereby under arrest by orders of the Supreme Chancellor."

"What?" Steele asked right before being disarmed and handcuffed. "What for exactly?"

"Treason. Sedition. And quite possibly, fraternization," Tarkin made sure to put a tone of scorn and disdain on the last word of the sentence. "Take him away!"

"WAIT!" Steele pulled back from the guards holding him. They prepared their electro-rods. "That is a pathetic explanation. If you want me to come without resistance you better start saying why!"

"I hate those who pretend to know nothing," Tarkin muttered under his breath. "But if you insist that we repeat what you've most likely already done, then I might as well. You're suspected to have offered one of your own men, a clone designated by CT-7701, to Separatist Admiral Trench for research purposes. Threatening the Republic's chances of victory in exchange for a little piece of knowledge you thought we were deliberately hiding from you."

Steele's mind went white. He could barely hear anything else that was being said to him. Nor react to the guards dragging him off to the holding centre. His mind was on one thing, and one thing only.

_CT-7701…CT-7701…that's Kal's designation number. They think I put Kal in the hands of Admiral Trench? Kal is currently in the hands of Admiral Trench?_

All senses returned to Steele the moment they stepped outside the hangar. Out in the outside view of Coruscant, he could see another ship approaching from the atmosphere. It was the one carrying all his men arrested on Kamino. He could hardly accept this scenario.

This was worse than the worst case scenario he thought up of when he decided to pursue the reasons behind why Fives died. How were they supposed to get out of this?

~ O O O ~

Elsewhere in the dead of space, Count Dooku finally met up with Admiral Trench in his flagship. He had something of high importance to transport. Given to him directly by the Prime Minister of Kamino.

"Here you are, Admiral. The clone for your research."

Dooku presented a locked casket to Trench that held the unconscious Kal inside. Trench had a few helper droids move the casket to a more secured location in the ship. He thanked Dooku for the generous offer.

"I shall take extra pre-caution to not lose this clone this time, my Lord."

"Make sure you do," Dooku pressed. "If you are able to find out anything related to the incident on Ringo Vinda, we shall have an advantage over the Republic. And the Jedi's days of command, will be numbered."

~ O O O ~

From his office window at the top of the Senate, Palpatine watched the entire arresting in mild satisfaction. First, it was one clone. Then it was another. And now. An entire legion potentially knew the existence of his master plan. Because if the top chains of command were involved, who's to say more were involved too?

Usually, detaining in such large masses was something he tried to avoid, but this time he had a safe viable reason to use as a framer. There was no doubt some of these clones were dubious of the facts being presented by the Republic. It wouldn't be hard convincing others that they've gone the extra klick and decided to turn to their enemies for a truth they believed their own government was hiding from them.

But of course, Palpatine would have to convince everyone there was nothing to hide in the first place. That's where Nala Se's updated story on the Ringo Vinda parasite being a Separatist bio-weapon would come in.

If the Jedi can buy that, then all will be well. For Palpatine, of course.

"The suspects have all been detained," Nala Se said as she entered Palpatine's office again. "The clone CT-7701 has been safely transferred to Trench, and the Jedi are on their way here."

 _Perfect_. Palpatine turned around to face her. "The clone CC-1010 is undergoing proper treatment?"

"Yes. He is fully unconscious now. Once he wakes up, he'll be functional again, though with some memory loss," Nala Se explained.

"That is to be expected." The time for the discussion with the Council Masters was coming soon. Palpatine said some reminders to Nala Se, "Remember what we went through, absolutely no more inconsistencies can be drawn from this event. This shall be the very last time we ever have to deal with something of this calibre."

"It shall be, Your Excellency." At this point, Nala Se wasn't afraid anymore. Why should she? Palpatine knew exactly what he was doing.

"Either way, I have ensured that suspicion won't be drawn back to us."

The conversation ended there. Palpatine and Nala Se exited the office, heading down to meet with the members of the Jedi Council. Whose days, and the days of every single Jedi in the galaxy, were now numbered.

How long their days were? Well, that would depend on the actions of the arrested clones and their Jedi leader. But either way, it was a win-win situation for Palpatine. He mentally toasted to himself.

_**End of Investigating Fives's Death arc. The Clone's Hero will be back for its Final arc on Feb. 16 EST time.** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N. And this is the last chapter of the penultimate arc. I almost can't believe the next arc will be the final one. And then this story will be complete. Wow...just wow. But seriously though, in all honesty, I wouldn't have made it this far without you guys supporting me. And especially those of you who bookmarked, kudoed, and COMMENTED. I'll be replying to your comments shortly. Just give me some time, it's been a very busy month so far for me. :)
> 
> See you all next time! :D
> 
> \- MiraLake


	48. Arrested (Final pt1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello again, my lovelies! I can't believe we're finally here! After almost a year, we're finally reaching the final arc of this story. I hope you're all as ecstatic as I am! :)

**Arrested (Final pt1)**

_**Power is power, and no one can deny it otherwise** _

The meeting with Jedi Council started off just as Palpatine expected: with Master Plo Koon putting his foot down and being harder than usual. "Why were Aliyah and her men taken into custody?"

Palpatine waved his hand calmly. "That will be answered in due time."

"That will be answered _now_." The tone of the Kel Dor Jedi Master gave no subtleties to his rising impatience.

Surprisingly enough, none of the other Council members seemed eager to reprimand him. They too, wanted to know why nearly an entire legion was arrested on such short notice.

Palpatine feigned submission and bowed his head to give into Plo's demands. "As you wish, Master Jedi. It is highly suspected that she, or a number of clones from her division, were involved in making a trade with Admiral Trench. Offering one of their own men for his research on the event of Ringo Vinda, in exchange for being let in on his findings."

"That is not possible," Plo insisted. "Aliyah would never have allowed such a trade to happen."

"Perhaps so. But that doesn't mean she's completely unaware of what was going on."

Palpatine gestured for Nala Se to step up and present the security footage on the centre holotable. Almost immediately, images of Dogma and Egad frantically scurrying about Prime Minister Lama Su's office came up. The Council watched with mild suspicion.

" _Dogma, remember what the commander said!" Egad shouted to his friend over at the computer. The sound of fingers tapping across the keypad grew more frantic with every passing second. "It's not worth it if we get caught!"_

" _I know I know! I just—" Dogma's fingers stopped typing and his eyes grew wide as he looked the contingency orders compendium before him. "—found it!"_

 _Egad rushed over to Dogma's side just as the footage suddenly cuts-off._ The holotable powered down again, erasing all traces of the scene that just played out before the Jedi. Palpatine spoke before any of the Masters could have a chance to speak.

"That was all we managed to salvage from the Kaminoan security team. Everything else, those clones, or their accomplices, have managed to delete from the system." Palpatine's eyes shifted to the faces of each Jedi Master in the meeting room. Some looked utterly shocked, while others seemed disappointed that yet another one of their own may have turned against the Republic. He internally smirked. "Breaking and entering the Prime Minister's office in search of content related to ARC-Trooper-5555's downfall…All because they're cynical of this government."

"Forgive me for saying this, Chancellor. But we're not too sure what to think of when it comes to your honesty anymore either," Obi-Wan divulged, his arms crossed.

"No, that is fair," Palpatine surprisingly admitted. "I have been taking extra precautions to ensure our enemies don't get a hold of information that may be beneficial towards them. And that, unfortunately, has the side-effects of turning my own people against me."

Mace Windu wasn't so moved by the passive play. "We know now that there is no such thing as a parasite native to Ringo Vinda. Why?" He looked to Palpatine and Nala Se. His eyes were narrowed and hardened. "Why lie to us?"

"We did not lie. We just didn't have all the facts," Nala Se stepped forward to present another revelation via the holotable. It was a summary chart of her updated research notes. "The reason why I discovered a parasite while your external researchers did not, is because it was a bio-weapon made by the Separatists. Planted it on Ringo Vinda with the intention to wipe out the entire clone army via a fatal epidemic. As soon as the mission was over they cleaned it off, so to prevent further spread. However, it had the unexpected outcome of malfunctioning its clone host's inhibitor chip instead of killing him. Thus causing the Master Tiplar tragedy we all know of today. A tragedy that did not go unnoticed by Admiral Trench, who was overseeing the parasite's first use in action. And now that he has his hands on another clone subject, it'll only be a matter of time before we're all doomed to instant defeat."

The Council did not like the sound of that. But they were still wary of believing anything being told to them. "Elaborate, on this danger of Trench holding the kidnapped clone, you must," Yoda said—though it was closer to an order.

"The Separatists are not aware of the inhibitor chips." Nala Se paused to let that fact sink into every single Master present in the room. "The second they learn of its existence, they'll work day and night to exploit any form of weakness within the chip that could ensure their victory in this war. They'll exploit our own army."

Palpatine nodded in complete agreement. He diverted his attention to the entire Council, seeing now that they better understood the situation at hand. It was all going to his plan. "If these renegades have just waited until we came up with better conclusions, none of this would've happened. But instead, they decided to take things to the extreme and have inadvertently signed all of our death warrants."

"But that footage, only two clones were present. Yet you decided to have them arrested, alongside all of the legion's officers," Kit Fisto pointed out. "Why is that?"

"Because they mentioned their commander," Palpatine said matter-of-factly. He paced around the room, his hands put cleanly behind his back. "If their commander is involved that means more of the legion could be involved as well. It's common knowledge really, in situations where the top brass plays a role in conspiracy plots. So I had no choice but to take all their officers too since I do not know how far this web of deceit goes."

Plo wasn't convinced. He believed the security footage. He believed the possibility of some members of the 304th being suspicious over the events following Ringo Vinda. He believed that they may have taken action to get a clearer story. But he did not believe in the trade that was made with Trench. Something was horribly out of context here.

"I still find it extremely difficult to believe that Aliyah would—"

"—If the commander was involved," Palpatine swiftly interrupted Plo, "I have no doubt that she'd at least be aware of what he was up to. Whether or not she agreed, that doesn't matter, although…I'm leaning more towards the fact that she agreed."

Just as Plo thought. Something was horribly out of context. He couldn't believe anything the Chancellor says anymore. As for Palpatine, he expected nothing less out of these reactions.

~ O O O ~

The meeting between the Council Masters ended several hours later. They left the Senate feeling tired, angry, and worn. This discussion with Nala Se and the Chancellor was supposed to answer their questions, but instead, it just added more to their ever-growing pile. Sometime during the middle of the meeting, Palpatine authorized the send-out of Republic spies to locate where Admiral Trench is holding the kidnapped 304th clone captain. As soon as they have a location pinpointed, armed forces will be sent in to retrieve him. However, that did not answer the question of what will happen to Aliyah and all the clones that were arrested.

Plo did not feel good while travelling back to the Temple with his fellow Jedi. His emotions were wavering on dangerous levels. "I do not believe such a trade was conducted by Aliyah, or any of her men."

"But you do believe she may have taken actions into her own hands?" Mace carefully asked.

"That I do." Plo knew there was no denying the fact Aliyah, and several other Jedi, were suspicious of the facts being presented to them from the Chancellor and Kaminoans. Chances are, she did do a little digging herself. "But to offer one of her own captains…That is not the Aliyah I've taught and raised. Nor is that any of the soldiers I've met from her division."

"Admiral Trench obtained his clone subject directly from Kamino's headquarters," Mace pointed out. "The Chancellor is right in suspecting an inside worker, question is who? And whether or not there's more of them."

"Not important, those matters are," Yoda announced from the front of the group. "Find and retrieve the kidnapped clone, we must. Before Trench makes his discovery on the chips, _that_ is our top priority. And perhaps then," the wise GrandMaster of the Order turned around to face his company. He directed his sympathies towards the anguished Plo Koon, "evidence for the 304th's innocence and non-involvement, shall surface."

Though not much, Plo was glad he wasn't alone in feeling the wrongful detainment of his former Padawan and her legion. He looked to the dark silhouette of the Senate detainment building in the distance.

 _I'll get you out. I'll get you all out. I promise._ Plo moved forward with more vigour.

~ O O O ~

Palpatine entered the large building for holding prime Republic felons with an entourage of guards. A strong sense of confidence accompanied him as he walked down the cold silvery halls. Today was a success. The Council was more focused on the threat of Separatists possibly discovering and exploiting clone inhibitor chips, that they were willing to gloss over any suspicions they're having right now. But of course, that didn't mean they fully agreed with the arresting of one of their own. They'll want to do something about it. Plo Koon especially.

Taking a tray of food from an attendant, Palpatine headed towards the cellblock where the 304th Jedi general was being held.

Aliyah coughed from the lack of fresh air in her holding room. She sat, despairingly on a long convex metal seat, her back against the wall. The events of the day hammered deep into her head. Palpatine carefully entered the cell.

"You look unwell, my dear. Have they brought you anything to eat?" The door behind Palpatine locked shut as he walked up to where Aliyah sat. He placed the tray of food on the small table next to her.

Aliyah did not acknowledge him. Nor did she move. She just kept staring at the plain grey wall directly across from her. Refusing to make any eye contact with the man responsible for her and her legion's downfall. And most likely—the orchestrator of Kal's kidnapping. If there was a metre to measure a Jedi's appropriate level of rage, she'd probably have broken it by now.

"I know this isn't pleasant, but you must agree that the evidence brought before me is quite fitting." Palpatine walked a few steps back to give her some room. His demeanour suddenly darkened. "Now tell me, did you discover anything, anything at all, behind the death of ARC-Trooper-5555? Because if you did, remember that it is your duty to say so."

Aliyah didn't bother moving from her corner. She kept her eyes glued away from Palpatine and coldly muttered, "You can stop it with the fair and benevolent act."

That call-out hardly affected Palpatine, who continued to proceed with etiquette. "I only want the truth. The people deserve to know the truth, don't you think? Otherwise they may start fearing insurgency from the clones, or even the Jedi."

"You're good…no wonder the Council never suspected anything." Aliyah kept her rising anger at bay. "You possess all the qualities of a democratic leader. Charisma, intelligence, accountability, delegation, but you _lack_ compassion. You lack honesty. Perhaps if you had both of those, ARC-Trooper Fives would've never run to Skywalker in the first place."

"Yes, that's a…bit of a miscalculation on my part," Palpatine surprisingly agreed. "You Jedi really do make things so unpredictable sometimes."

"Do we now?" Aliyah asked sarcastically.

"Think of it as a compliment," Palpatine calmly shot back. "How was I supposed to know that ARC-Trooper-5555 would take so much after his free-spirited general? Or that CC-3484 would fall greatly for his?"

The slight crack of Aliyah's monotone expression made Palpatine smirk ever-so-slightly. In that instant, he knew he hit a sensitive spot, and so, decided to press deeper. "He's in love with you, isn't he?" It was more of a statement than a question. "I can't think of any other reason for him to go through such lengths—tell me, my dear. Do you love him back?"

It took every ounce of Aliyah's energy to keep herself rooted in her seat. She took a deep breath. "Get out."

Palpatine nodded nonchalantly. "Yes, yes, of course. I have yet to pay your commander a visit, after all. Perhaps he would be—"

"GET OUT OF HERE! YOU CONNIVING SON OF A SITH!"

Aliyah hurled her tray at Palpatine. It flew past him by an inch and hit the wall behind. Food splattered everywhere. Palpatine looked past the mess and at the furious young Jedi glowering before him. The answer to his last question was obvious. He shook his head in false pity.

"So you do. How tragic."

Then without saying another word, Palpatine turned and left the cell. An oddly satisfying look formed on his face. Back inside, Aliyah struggled to piece herself back together. Pain ruptured through her core as she felt the suffering of all her men that she had inadvertently put them into.

 _I'm sorry…_ She brought her knees inwards to her chest. _I'm so sorry, everyone…_

~ O O O ~

Wolffe rushed through the crowd of workers, Jedi, and soldiers alike. They were all gathered around the Temple's front gate, talking about the latest events and exchanging theories for why it may have happened. But Wolffe didn't want to hear it from any of them. He needed to hear it from Plo.

The Council Masters re-entered the Temple premises through a side-entrance to avoid the crowd. Amongst them was Plo. Wolffe called out to him.

"General!"

Turning his head around, Plo saw his commander coming up to him. Despite the helmet being on he could see the anxiety brimming across Wolffe's one eye. The clone stopped before him. Plo signalled for the rest of the Masters to leave the two of them be.

"Is it true? They've all been arrested?" Wolffe asked. He didn't need to specify whom. Plo looked away grimly.

"I'm afraid so."

This. This was the exact situation Wolffe did NOT want to have transpired. It was why he tried to convince Steele to drop the case. Why he went to Aliyah to get her to convince him to drop it. Why did she decide to give him one more day on Coruscant? Why?

"Is there anything you can do about it?" Wolffe quickly added on.

"If there was, I would've already done it," Plo answered. He gestured for Wolffe to follow him inside the building. "There is something strange with these accusations and I refuse to let this turn into another Ahsoka Tano case. Not again."

Pain seeped into Plo's voice. Along with guilt. He lost one daughter-figure because he didn't believe in her enough. He was not about to repeat the same mistakes. Next to him, Plo sensed uneasiness from Wolffe. He wondered what he was thinking about.

~ O O O ~

Elsewhere in the blocks of the detainment building, and throughout its branches across Coruscant, officers of the 304th were being subjected to brutal interrogation methods. Not physically brutal, but emotionally—mentally brutal. In each separated questioning room of the complex, clones were being gaslit and twisted into thinking they were involved in a conspiracy most of them have no knowledge of. And throughout it all, they were pounded with the accusation of selling out one of their own brothers-in-arms, for selfish gain.

It was gut-wrenching. For each interrogated clone to know their former substitute-commander and friend was in enemy hands…apparently thanks to them.

Tarkin sat opposite to the table where Dogma was currently sitting restrained. He began the interrogation with a disdainful stare. "I would say I'm surprised to see you locked up again, but I won't. To be frank I'm not surprised at all." Tarkin took out a handheld datapad for note-taking. He distastefully muttered, "Once a rogue, always a rogue."

Dogma didn't say anything. He needn't waste his energy on a man who never listened to him since the Umbara trial. What reason would he have to listen to him now? Tarkin continued speaking, despite the silence.

"Now then. You can start by choosing to co-operate, or to not co-operate. Though, I must warn you if you choose the latter, the life of your fellow comrade, CT-7701 might be in more peril than it is right now."

"I did NOT hand him over to Trench," Dogma said, hard and straightforward. He locked eyes with Tarkin, making sure the man could see his unwavering resolve in his own innocence. That despite all the accusations saying otherwise, Dogma will continue to deny them.

Tarkin did not change his stone-cold attitude. "Fine. Then let's start by speaking of the surveillance footage from the Prime Minister's office. Do you deny that recorded event from ever happening?"

"I do not deny it," Dogma answered so quickly that it caught Tarkin off-guard for a brief second.

"Why were and your fellow partner, CT-5304, ransacking a place of restriction?"

"We were looking for evidence on what really happened to the two clones from the 501st. The ones you called 'rogues.'" Dogma's voice grew more accusatory. His stare hardened. "They weren't rogues and none of the arrested men here gave up Kal to Trench. It's all just pretty black lies made by this government that we even have the audacity to call a 'democracy!'"

Tarkin closed his eyes in response to the clone's rising tone of voice. He never liked it when emotions were poured into place of logic. "So I guess you don't want to save the life of CT-7701."

"I do!" Dogma shouted.

"Then tell us where he is!" Tarkin seethed, his patience decreasing by the second.

"Why don't you ask the Chancellor where he is!?" Dogma shot back. He was careful not to move too much around in his chair, otherwise the electric-sensors might activate. "Or the Prime Minister. Or any of the Kaminoans who were at HQ at that time! 'Cause I guarantee they know more than any of us you have detained here!"

Tarkin snapped his datapad up from the table and turned it off. He got out of his chair, smoothly and efficiently. "That's it. We're done here." The Judicial called in the guards to move Dogma back to his holding cell. He looked at the clone one last time. "Just know that if CT-7701 dies, or if Trench does indeed discover something that would turn the tides of the war against us, you and your entire legion will be put to the same fate."

The guards entered the interrogation room and took Dogma back to his cell.

~ O O O ~

Trench was preparing for some initial tests to be done on his new clone subject. This was an opportunity given to him by Count Dooku himself. He would not let this slip through his hands again. Not like what happened to that infected clone from Ringo Vinda.

"Admiral, you have an incoming call from Count Dooku," one of the helper B12-droids announced.

Not wanting to leave the room while Separatist scientists and assistant droids alike were preparing the clone for testing, Trench motioned for the droid to bring the holo-projector here. "Bring the Count in. Let him see what is about to be done."

The droid obeyed and seconds later, the hologram of a hooded Count Dooku was brought into the experiment room. Trench and all the workers present bowed their heads in respect. "Count Dooku, as you can see, the clone is about to undergo some preparations for more procedures down the line. Though, it would be difficult finding out exactly what caused the clone from Ringo Vinda to go mad, it is not impossible."

"Good. Very well," Dooku praised for the quick initiation. "And I trust the place where you're conducting these tests are secure?"

"Very secure. And even if the Republic were to discover where we are, we can move to a new different location, quickly and securely." Trench's mandibles clattered with delight. He knew what he was doing and what he could be up against.

"That is good to hear. However," Dooku added warningly. "It is best to complete your research before the Republic arrives for their leaked intel. If you discover what it is that caused that one clone to execute his Jedi leader, alert me at once."

Two large guard droids entered the room. One of them handed Trench a small comm-like device. It had a single button on it. Dooku explained what it was for, "Press that button the second you think made a viable discovery and not for anything else. Understood?"

"Yes, My Lord," Trench nodded. He ordered some helper droids to put the button away in a temporary place. Dooku was pleased to hear. Everything was going according to his Master's plan.

"Good. Because the instant you do, you will be given full permission to annhilate the entire Jedi Order."

Hearing that made Trench swell with pride. This was an opportunity he never thought he'd have in his lifetime. "That would be a great honour, and my pleasure, my Lord."

Dooku had now said everything he needed to say and decided to leave Trench be. "Alright, then I'll leave you to it. I hope to hear that alert from you soon."

The hologram disappeared and the droids took the projector back out to the communication room. Trench turned around to look at the clone, unconscious and lying in a test chamber hooked up to a multitude of wires and tubes. He looked to the head of the examination team—a sharp-tongued Twi'lek whom Trench did not get along with in particular—but was forced to for the sake of this experiment.

"Why are you not working, doctor?" Trench demanded.

The Twi'lek pulled on his pristine lab gloves coolly. "To perform the initial body-scans. We'll need to have the subject awake. To boost readings from his neural system."

"Alright, then wake him with a light electric shock," Trench suggested.

"That's not the problem," the Twi'lek said. Trench looked none too pleased. He was beginning to lose his patience.

"Then what is?"

"Some of the scans will involve forceful penetration and injection," the Twi'lek explained. His face turned grim. "It'll be painful—"

"Then let him scream," Trench reasoned.

" _Quite_ painful," the Twi'lek enunciated.

"Then let him scream loudly." Trench towered over the scientist, causing the rest of the research team to stop working in fear. "It's not like the Republic will hear him anyways. Stop wasting time and get started on this thing."

Silently cursing to himself and apologizing to whatever higher power was looking down on them all, the Twi'lek put on his safety goggles and ordered for a light dose of electricity be applied to the clone. Kal awoke with the first shock. His eyes adjusted to the bright light and the unfamiliar faces surrounding him. Panic surged through his body. Where was he? The last thing he remembered was entering the Prime Minister's office…and then…

_No…_

Memories of being offered something to drink from Lama Su and then blacking out afterwards returned to Kal. He looked to the side of where he laid, recognizing the face of infamous Separatist Admiral Trench, watching over him from above. Why was he with Separatists!? And then he realized he couldn't move at all. He struggled but to no avail. The faces of scientists and med-droids looked at him distantly. Gradual overwhelming pain shot through his body. And he screamed.

"AAAAAHHHHH!"

~ O O O ~

The second Dooku got off his call with Trench, he got on another with his Lord and Master, Darth Sidious. The intimidating hologram of the hooded man that was supposedly the most powerful person in the galaxy appeared before him. "Master, I have given Trench the means to inform you quickly and discretely, the moment he discovers the true purpose of the clones' chips."

"Good. Good," the cloaked hologram said. A faint trace of a gleeful smile could be seen beneath his hood. "If he can figure out the chips before Republic forces arrive, Plan B is guranteed."

"You are sure that Republic forces will be coming to retrieve the captured clone?" Dooku asked.

"Yes. And not just any Republic forces, it'd be the clone's own division," Darth Sidious revealed, much to Dooku's intrigue. "They'd rather die than leave one of their own behind."

"But what if they refused?" Dooku suggested, rather boldly. Sidious narrowed his eyes behind his hood.

"What makes you think that they'll refuse?"

"Hypothetically speaking, Master," Dooku said in saving himself from disgrace.

"Well, hypothetically speaking, I am fully prepared for an outcome like that." In truth, Sidious would rather not have what Dooku suggested to come to pass. But even if it did, it wouldn't be too great of a disturbance. "It'd only be a minor hiccup in my grand scheme of things. When and who authorizes the execution of Order 66 does not matter. What matters is the aftermath of things. And I intend to be in full control of that."

~ O O O ~

Wolffe approached his general in his study room. He had finally come to a decision. "General Plo?"

Plo looked up from his desk where he was trying to put together a new argument for Aliyah and her men's release. "Wolffe, what is it?"

"There's something you should probably know, about why General Korentayer and the others were arrested."

_**Next time on The Clone's Hero, the 304th's situation continues to standstill while Palpatine's plan continues to propel, meanwhile, Wolffe decides to let Plo in on what he knows of the legion's detainment…** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N. Sorry, no Steele this chapter, he'll be coming in next chapter—I promise. Whew. I'm exhausted. This co-op workterm isn't like my other traditional workterms. I'm no longer working 9-5. I'm now on-call and working overtime as well, due to our product just going public. As the lead software developer, I'm required to be available to a moment's notice to fix any issue with the website. So there will probably be a lot of delays in between chapters for this final arc. I'm sorry, it's just how it is. But I promise I'll do my best to keep consistent with my update schedule.
> 
> See you all next time! Please remember to kudo, bookmark, or leave a comment if you can! :)
> 
> \- MiraLake


	49. Dangerous Deals (Final pt2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will likely be delayed. Sorry, I did warn you guys about this :(. But nonetheless, I hope you'll still enjoy this chapter!

**Dangerous Deals (Final pt2)**

_**You should never gamble under pressure** _

Plo walked up the steps of the Senate entrance with ease. It was a bright and beautiful day on Coruscant but he was too one-track-minded to take notice. As he marched across the building's pristine halls, Plo ignored the stares of politicians and passersby who wondered what could've caused a Jedi Master like himself to move with such tenacity.

The answer: the events of last night. It was a conversation that Plo would be forever grateful to Wolffe for having with him. And it replayed in frame-by-frame accuracy inside his head as he entered the elevator doors.

~ O O O ~

" _I'm sorry. I didn't want any of this to happen, I really didn't," Wolffe suddenly burst into apology. There was a slight crack in his voice; he was overridden with guilt. Plo quickly got up from his desk to calm his commander down. He asked for clarification on what Wolffe was sorry for._

" _What do you mean?"_

~ O O O ~

To say Plo wasn't surprised when Wolffe explained to him what he knew on the 304th's detainment would be a lie. But he didn't expect it to be the way it was either. If what Wolffe said was true, then it'd only be a matter of time before Aliyah and all of her arrested men would be dealt with…by capital punishment.

And Plo would not let that happen.

The elevator finally reached the top floor of the Senate, where the Chancellor's office was located. A barely audible chime was heard before the doors opened.

~ O O O ~

" _They were looking into Fives's death," Wolffe finally and reluctantly answered. "Steele was, at least. I'm not sure who else from their legion was involved but it couldn't possibly have been everyone that was arrested. And General Korentayer…I got her involved by telling what Steele's been up to." Regret of his decisions that night at the Senate came back to Wolffe. He should've gone to Plo instead of her. "I thought she'd be able to talk some sense into him. Because he's important to her."_

_Plo at Wolffe closely. His mind was working hard to wrap these facts that were just presented to him. So it was true that some of the 304th men, Steele included, was trying to dig deeper into the case of ARC-Trooper Fives. And it was true that Aliyah was both aware and involved…because she cared, probably more than she should, about her commander. Then that would make more sense than the story of them giving Admiral Trench a clone from their own ranks._

" _You're telling me that Aliyah and the others were arrested, not on suspicion of orchestrating Kal's capture by Trench, but because they've discovered something about ARC-Trooper Fives that they shouldn't have?" Plo confirmed his understandings with Wolffe. The clone commander of the 104th nodded._

" _That's what I think. Yes."_

~ O O O ~

"WAIT!" One of the guards standing on duty cried to Plo. He and his other two colleagues attempted to stop the Jedi Master. "YOU CAN'T GO IN—"

Before Plo could say something in response, the elevator behind him chimed open again. This time, two additional members of the Jedi Council, Mace Windu and Obi-Wan Kenobi stepped out. The taller, dark-skinned Jedi Master looked both confused and displeased at the sight of Plo being here.

"Master Plo," Mace marched towards the Kel Dor Jedi. He seemed to be a bit out of breath, as if he and Obi-Wan rushed to get here in time. "I thought we advised you to wait for the entire Council to finish with their tasks before accompanying you here."

"And I thought that I told you I would likely not listen to your advice," Plo retorted. It was true, he mentioned to the Council what he learned of last night and what he planned to do. The Council sympathized with him enough to allow him to request an audience with the Chancellor again, but suggested he wait until all of them are available to attend together. Plo did not have the time for that. Every second he waited gave Palpatine a second to prepare. He turned his attention back to the guards.

"I know you're doing your jobs, as it is expected of you, in face of the Chancellor of the Republic. But I also have a job. And that is to both serve and _protect_ my government, even if it's from its own leader." Plo's tone was a mixture of warning and understanding. "Now. Tell the Chancellor that I am here to see him."

Deciding to let Palpatine handle the consequences for this Jedi Master instead of them handling it themselves, the head guard on duty took out his communicator and buzzed the Chancellor. "Your Excellency, Jedi Master Plo Koon and a few others are here to see you."

"Send them in," Palpatine's voice said from both the device and behind the door. The guards stood at ease and the guard opened the door. Plo, Mace, and Obi-Wan stepped inside.

~ O O O ~

"You don't know much about us, do you, sir?" Egad asked in the middle of his interrogation with Tarkin. The Judicial looked up from his notes in shock and confusion at the audacity of this clone.

"Excuse me?"

"I mean if you did, you wouldn't be wasting your time trying to find which one of us did this so-called crime." Egad sat back in his chair and crossed his arms. His eyes radiated the coldness coming from Tarkin, if not more. "Because none of us, and I mean _none_ of us, would ever give up one of our own."

~ O O O ~

Palpatine spun around in his chair to face the lot of Council Masters that just entered. "Why have you come to speak with me, Masters Jedi?"

"The crime you've imprisoned the 304th officers and their Jedi general for is both false and fallible—"

"This again?" Palpatine interrupted Plo midsentence.

"I'm not finished yet." Plo cut right back in. He waited until he had the Chancellor's attention again. Palpatine put his hands on his desk, nodded for the Jedi Master to continue, despite his questionable facial expression. "You've arrested them on suspect of orchestrating the offer of one of their own clone captains to Admiral Trench. I believe that they're innocent of this."

Palpatine leaned forward in his seat. "And what makes you think that?"

"Because I think you've arrested them for something else. Something far worse." Plo had a hint of accusation in his voice. "You're only using the capture of Captain Kal as a cover-up."

Behind his facade, Palpatine was carefully calculating his risks and next moves. He had predicted Plo Koon would try and do something about the 304th's detainment but he hadn't predicted that he'd have hints on what the true reason behind their arrest was.

"Chancellor. If you have something to say, please say it." Plo was getting more irate by the minute. "Whether it be more missing details on the events of ARC-Trooper Fives, or the fact that Dr. Nala Se managed to conclude the Ringo Vinda parasite as a Separatist bio-weapon right after our researchers said there was no parasite in the first place. This whole situation is starting to resemble a silencing of voices. And I would gladly stake my life on the claim that they are innocent."

That caught Palpatine's attention. "Really?"

But Mace immediately protested. He put a hand on Plo's shoulder, pulling back from whatever he was about to say. "Now hold on Plo Koon. A statement like that is both extreme and reckless, you shouldn't be saying it in the first place."

"Tell me. I am a Jedi Master, am I not?" Plo asked without even looking at anyone in particular. Neither Mace nor Obi-Wan could believe what they just heard. Mace quickly answered the question.

"Yes. Yes you absolutely are and nobody would ever doubt that."

"But I am beginning to doubt it, myself," Plo confessed. He looked down at his hands. "I have been teetering dangerously close to the edge with my emotions, and allowing my judgement to become clouded. That is not becoming of who I am to represent. I am a Jedi. I fear what I may do in retaliation if my former Padawan and those she protects with all her heart are punished for what felony you're accusing them of. So I ask you, Chancellor, that you give them a chance to prove their innocence, and have me confined in the meantime."

"Master!" Mace and Obi-Wan cried simultaneously. But Palpatine seemed highly intrigued.

"Master Plo, please," Obi-Wan pleaded after containing himself. "Let us discuss this as a Council, first."

"I've already made up my mind," Plo said. His tone was final. "This is the best course of action for myself and for the Order as a whole."

"I admire you." Palpatine stood up from his chair. He walked around his desk towards the three Jedi. "Your faith in your former student's innocence is earning of respect, and I _will_ consider your offer of giving them a chance to prove their guiltlessness. However, I should inform you that if you choose to be confined in their stead, you will suffer the consequences meant for them in the outcome that they fail to clear their names."

Plo was already willing to accept that. He nodded. "All I ask is that you consider. Thank you, Your Excellency."

~ O O O ~

The Jedi left soon after, and Palpatine was left to his thoughts. He smiled gleefully out the window. Mas Amedda walked up to his side, curious as to why he looked so unfazed after everything that just happened.

"You're not troubled by the Jedi's actions?"

"Quite the contrary, Mr. Speaker-person," Palpatine said. He turned to look at him. "Master Plo Koon is rather popular with the crowd. He's hailed as a galaxy-wide godfather on many of the worlds he's been to. Who do you think the public will side with if we decide to execute the closest thing he has to a daughter?"

"Him," Mas Amedda answered simply.

"Exactly." Palpatine was glad Plo came to him with this offer. _Now I may have an unscathed method of getting rid of one of the Order's finest and most beloved Jedi Masters. But first, I'll need the meddling legion's cooperation._ "Bring me the 304th commander. I'd like to have a word with him. One on one."

~ O O O ~

Steele awoke from his unsettlingly realistic nightmare. What time was it? Almost noon? Afternoon? It was only the first night he's in prison and he swore he heard Kal screaming bloody murder. But that could just be paranoia. Or guilt. Probably guilt. It was partly him who caused Kal's predicament after all—but still, he wondered, what was with these lucid dreams as of late? Did the universe enjoy toying with him this much?

Suddenly, before Steele could ponder any more on his train of thought, the cell door opened. Two Senate Guards entered. The one in front was holding a pair of handcuffs.

"Get up. The Chancellor wants to have a word with you."

_Great. Just what I needed right after waking up._

But Steele knew better than to resist. He stood up, accepted the cuffs from the Senate Guard, and was led out of the detainment building and towards the Senate.

~ O O O ~

The guards took Steele right up to the Chancellor's office. Then they uncuffed him and let him be. Palpatine put his hands together in curious delight at his desk. He welcomed Steele with a contradicting aura.

"Commander. So good of you to join me."

"I didn't have much of a choice," Steele muttered while looking around the room. Trying to find anything that Palpatine might use to frame him for even more trouble.

"No you didn't. But you complied, and you came without any resistance." Palpatine gave him an eerie look. "That is good."

Steele felt himself grow cold when Palpatine got out of his seat and began walking towards him. There was something heart-stoppingly terrifying about this man, but he couldn't put his finger on it. This kind of fear he was feeling from Palpatine couldn't compare to any kind of fear he's experienced before.

Not even Krell could compare.

Palpatine stopped about a foot's step right in front of Steele. A small smile curled upon his face. "What if I were to let you go right this instant? Remove your confinement, lift all your accusations? What would you do? Who would you go to immediately?"

"My general," Steele answered. _Does it even matter lying at this point?_ "My officers, all of my men."

"Not the Jedi Council?" Palpatine asked with skepticism.

"I'll see _them_ afterwards. I haven't forgotten about _that_ yet." Steele made it clear that he had no intention of pretending Order 66 didn't exist.

Palpatine now got the angle he needed to proceed with this clone. He slowly started to circle around Steele. "Let's say I released your entire legion as well. Your darling general, your devouter-than-life officers, all of your men on Kamino that you've inadvertently put into the fray. And of course, your captured clone captain. Would you then be willing to leave all this nonsense behind?"

Steele could hardly believe what he just heard. Did Palpatine take him for a fool? "N—No."

"No?" Palpatine sounded more threatening than amused. He narrowed his eyes. "Why 'no?'"

"I don't trust you." Steele's voice was barely in the range of audibility.

"You don't trust that I'll keep my end of the bargain?" Palpatine questioned.

"Not that. I don't trust that you'll stop suspecting us once released." Rows of goosebumps formed on Steele's skin wherever Palpatine's eyes bore onto him. He held his quivering left forearm still. "I can swear that I'll forget about this. Tell my men to forget about this and you'll let us out of our cells, just as promised. _But you'll never let us go_."

The temperature dropped to absolute zero. Palpatine's smile stuck on his face, as if stitched and glued there, but he was far from being content. He turned his back on the clone and walked towards his giant window. "You're right, I won't. In truth, it would be much more preferable to have your minds all wiped. But that'd only solidify to the Jedi that I'm hiding something from them. And, Master Plo Koon…" Palpatine's head swivelled just an inch. "…you're familiar with him, aren't you?"

Steele knew he needn't answer that question. If Palpatine was bringing it up it was obvious he already had the answer.

"Well, he's insistent on the fact that you're all innocent of the crime being pressed onto you. And has even offered to take on your confinement and punishment, in exchange that you all be given a chance to prove yourselves guiltless."

"We already are guiltless," Steele insisted. He wasn't about to let himself fall into another one of Palpatine's pit holes. "You're just trying to appeal to my basic human altruism, and not let an innocent 3rd-party get involved."

"Are you sure about that?" Palpatine turned back around, facing eye-to-eye with Steele once again. But Steele continued to hold onto his suspicions.

"Well then," Palpatine began, then paused for a moment. All traces of dishonesty disappeared from his presence. "From the way I see it, you have a choice. You can continue to be stubborn and let Order 66 be executed the instant Trench discovers the chip inside your fellow brethren's head, or you can accept mine and Master Plo Koon's generous offer, go rescue CT-7701, and delay Order 66 to the time it was supposed to originally be activated."

A choked sound, somewhere between a gasp and a cry, escaped from Steele's throat. Behind the opaque lens of his vision-wear, his eyes widened so much his pupils shrunk to prevent him from going blind again. This…this was insane.

Palpatine smirked in victory. "Plo Koon shall be detained in you and your men's stead and suffer the consequences should you all fail. The choice is yours. Yours, your general's, and all of your legion's. Whether you fail or succeed in retrieving CT-7701 in time will determine how much the Jedi have left to live. Best start deciding now."

Steele swallowed back his last night's dinner. But it threatened to come up again.

~ O O O ~

The Council was in an uproar this afternoon. Mace and Obi-Wan had told everyone the story of what happened at the Chancellor's office. No was happy about it.

"Master Plo, this is unacceptable!" Kit Fisto cried. All around him, several Council members agreed in earnest. "Why would you do such a thing?"

"Would you like it if I decided to do something reckless in the face of Aliyah's execution?" Plo calmly asked. The Council got quiet, sealing Plo's point. "That's what I thought. Neither would I."

"The Chancellor's say in this offer, what was it, exactly?" Yoda asked Mace and Obi-Wan.

"He said he'd be considering," Obi-Wan answered. A dubious shadow cast across his eyes. "He seemed really happy when Master Plo offered to be locked up."

"Which brings me to my next topic," Plo swiftly added. He stood up from his chair. "There is something dark and dreary about Chancellor Palpatine. I've been feeling it ever since the aftermath of Ringo Vinda. My commander confirmed to me that some of the arrested clones were indeed looking into what happened with Skywalker's late ARC-Trooper. I trust him more than I trust His Excellency."

"Your commander only decided to tell you that _now_?" Mace asked incredulously.

"He has his reasons," Plo defended strongly. The tone of regret and reluctance in Wolffe's confession last night was still etched deep inside of him. "He, just like the rest, only want to protect those they care about, nothing more. Which was why he hesitated to come to me when he knew what his fellow brothers-in-arms were up to. Being close to the upper echelon of the Senate, it'd mean that whatever we know, the Chancellor would likely learn about it too. Wolffe didn't want him to find out. Because he was afraid of crossing him. As we all should."

Yoda put his cane down on the ground. His mind deep in thought.

The meeting ended hours later. The Council couldn't come to a final conclusion on what to do in light of Plo's offer to Palpatine, and Palpatine had yet to get back to them on his consideration. But it was obvious to Plo, Mace, and Obi-Wan what the Chancellor's decision was going to be.

Travelling down the several flights from the Council tower towards the first floor, Plo eventually came across a very distraught-looking Wolffe in the Temple hangar. He took his helm off and a step forward.

"General…don't do this." He also heard about Plo's offer with Palpatine. Not surprisingly, he was upset.

But all Plo did was give him a reassuring nod. "I know what I'm doing." Before Wolffe even had the chance to retort, Plo picked up his gloved hand and squeezed it tight. "And I hope, _you_ will too."

Plo soon let go and turned around to leave the area. As soon as he was gone, Wolffe looked down at his hand and slowly opened it. There was a single small datachip placed on his palm.

~ O O O ~

At the Senate holding building, arrested officers of the 304th were slowly being grouped together. The official reason was because there weren't enough cells for each individual person to be put in. But the real reason behind this was because Palpatine wanted the clones to understand how hopeless the situation is. That even despite being put together, they have absolutely no control or say over their fates.

"So why are we arrested again?" One clone officer asked; finally killing the uneasy silence.

"They think we sold out Kal," Another one said.

The first officer laughed in exaggerated false humour. "Are they high on death sticks? 'Cause I'd really like some right now."

"No no. They actually _believe_ we sold out Kal. Like 'believe' believe. Not 'I'm high on death sticks' believe."

Before anyone else could add to the conversation, the PA system suddenly came on. A grueling voice echoed from the soundspeaker over the clones' heads. "Hey! Keep poking fun of the system and you'll wish you got a punishment as light as capital treason!"

And the cell was quiet once again. It bothered the clones to no-end that everything they said or did was being monitored 24/7. The silence kept going for another minute or two until a lone clone who was sitting in the corner stood up. He held a pair of crutches to help him keep balance. It was Compass. Adjusting himself on the crutches, he looked at where the soundspeaker was located on the ceiling and said,

"The system is flawed. Just like this no-good, bloody government, that we've spent years wasting our lives away with."

A loud reverberance sound came from the PA. Every single officer in the cell looked Compass, who just sat back down on the cell floor, seemingly fed up with this situation. The sound of heavy armoured feet marching across the floor grew louder and louder outside the halls. Until it finally stopped just outside the cell's door. Every clone in the room braced himself for what was about to come. They sure as hell weren't going to sit here and take it.

The door opened and a rookie-looking Senate Guard, who was also the one over the PA, entered. He curled his fists tightly. "Alright, who was the one who—"

Suddenly a beeping commlink from the guard's helmet went off. He stopped in the middle of his vent. "Hello?…Yeah…Now!?…Alright, I'll be on my way." The guard finished his call and gave one last glare to the clones. "Don't think I'm letting this go."

As soon as the guard walked out of vicinity, another person came in. It was a clone of the Coruscant Guard division. He entered through the cell door. "You all ok?"

When none of the clones answered, the guard quickly added, "You can speak now. That guy's the only guy at the PA and he's not going to be back there for awhile."

Mild reluctant relief filled Compass's core. He decided he wasn't finished with life just yet. "Do you have any idea what the Republic wants to do with us?"

The guard shook his head. "Not exactly. But I have heard from a bunch of higher-ups today that Jedi Master Plo Koon is really pushing for your innocence." The guard walked in closer to be better by everyone in the cell. "He's managed to get the Chancellor to consider letting you all clear your names."

Everyone's eyes widened upon hearing this. It seemed like there was someone looking out for them after all. Talk soon began flowing throughout the cell. Questions were asked. Closures were given. But the most important question of all wasn't answered yet. And that was: what kind of fate was waiting for them? It didn't matter what the Chancellor said, it only matter what the Chancellor wanted. And if he wanted them dead. They're going to be dead.

The Coruscant guard soon looked at the time and deduced the PA person is back on duty. He made his exit. "Please refrain from saying what's on your gut and keep out of Wilhoff Tarkin's bad side. With enough hope, this should pass over sooner or later." The guard looked back the clones one last time. "Remember that there are many of us who truly believe you didn't do anything wrong. Don't give up hope just yet."

_**Next time on The Clone's Hero, Kal's location has been determined and the preparation for his rescue and retrieval are being made…** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N. My goodness, this past week is probably the worst week I've worked yet! I'm gonna spare you all the details of what happened but just know that I'm not going to be working HARDER THAN EVER. Which means possibly more delays down the line. This is not how I wanted my Final arc to go... ;_; But hey! Let's muscle through it and we'll reach the end for sure! :D
> 
> Thanks all for reading thus far! Please remember to kudo, bookmark, or comment if you have the time! And I'll see you all, hopefully, 4 days from now!
> 
> \- MiraLake

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Star Wars: The Clone Wars is owned by Disney (Lucasfilm). I'm just playing around with it.
> 
> For so many years, I've kept these original characters (that you'll see in this story) bottled up inside me.
> 
> They've been through so many changes and development that the ones in this story, don't look anything like how they were initially characterized.
> 
> But finally, after so long, I've decided to finalize these OCs of mine.
> 
> And their story which takes place in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars universe.
> 
> The release of season 7 really encouraged to come forward and share this story.
> 
> Please leave kudos and comments if you like what you read!
> 
> Thank you,
> 
> MiraLake


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